Carpe Diem
by WitlessFool
Summary: Moments come and moments fade. That is how time passes. Anyone who believes otherwise are foolish at best. But until the day comes when I can finally walk my own path, moments like this would have to be enough. AkatsukixRuka COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1: Moments Like This

**Spoiler Alert (Updated):** This story is set after Chapter 73 of the manga. Everything that happened in the manga prior to 73 and also the events in the side novels will be accepted. People who haven't read up to Chapter 73 or the side novels (in particular, #2 The Noir Trap) should be aware of possible spoilers. However, reading them is not necessary to understand this story. :)

**Disclaimer:** Vampire Knight is a creation of Matsuri Hino. I am merely a fan.

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><p><strong>Chapter One: Moments Like This<strong>

Humans were strange creatures. From birth to death, they rarely ever stopped to take a breath. Perhaps chased by their own mortality, they were forever rushing from place to place. There was always something that needs to be done, a place that they needed to be at, and hopes for what they wished to achieve one day in the not-so-distant future. For them, time was of the essence and it was their obligation to make every moment count. Carpe diem. Seize the day. Live every day as if it were the very last.

"Akatsuki, are you okay?"

Brought out of his thoughts, Akatsuki Kain looked away from the crowded street below to the person sitting across the table from him. On this bright early Monday morning, the two of them were the only two customers lounging around without a care in the world on the balcony of a coffee shop. All around them, humans were rushing to and fro. Some heading to work. Others heading back home. Some doing errands. They were like little fireflies, all desperately trying to emit as much light as possible in their short lifespan.

Didn't they know that those that shine the brightest were the ones that burn out the fastest?

"I'm fine," he murmured as he fixed his gaze on his companion. Wearing a simple buttoned blouse and grey plaid skirt, Ruka Souen looked as she always did – perfect. Everything about her, from her caramel-coloured hair down to her colour-matching knee-high boots, was coordinated to lure in attention. And it succeeded. All who entered the cafe did a second take when they spotted Ruka. The waiter had tripped over his own feet and spilt coffee three times already in the past hour. Even Akatsuki, who has had the luxury of being around her for years now, found it hard pressed not to stare.

Ruka frowned as she scrutinized him. Akatsuki kept his face carefully blank. Whatever she was searching for, she clearly didn't find. With a hearty sigh, she rested her chin on one hand as she watched him.

"You were somewhere far away a moment ago." She commented as she traced the ornate edge of the table with the tips of her long slender fingers.

He shrugged in response. What could he have said? It was her idea to come to the coffee shop at eight o'clock in the morning in the first place. She claimed to have had a sugar craving and wanted some cheese cake. Then, once they got to the cafe, she was reluctant to leave. So instead of returning to the hotel where they were staying, they had remained there in the exact same spot for the last two hours, nibbling their way through the cafe's entire range of desserts. Clearly, she had something in her mind but Akatsuki wasn't going to pry. She would tell him when she was ready.

"Aren't you going to ask me am I okay?" Ruka tilted her head in question.

"Are you?" Akatsuki countered.

She frowned again, before shooting him a rueful smile. "You're always so direct, Akatsuki."

Sighing, she leaned over the side of the balcony and stared down at the pedestrians on the street below. At times like this, Akatsuki could openly study her without fear of being caught. When it was just the two of them, the ice queen mask she wore whenever there were others around would slip away, revealing all the feelings and thoughts she had so carefully hidden underneath.

Right now, she was clearly troubled. There was a lingering frown set between her eyebrows. Her eyes were clouded with worry. Her mouth was turned down slightly. And though to anyone else, she might appear relaxed, Akatsuki noticed the way her fingers clenched at the railings.

"I'm fine," she murmured as she continued to stare at the humans below. "Besides, the one who's facing difficult days ahead is not me."

She had said those exact same words once before, back when they had just discovered Yuuki's real identity. Akatsuki wondered who she could be referring to this time. But before he thought to ask, Ruka spoke again.

"How do you think he's doing at the moment?"

"Kaname-sama?" Akatsuki blinked. It was inevitable that their conversation would eventually stray into this dangerous topic.

Ruka shook her head, setting the cascading hair down her back to sway and create a waterfall effect. "Hanabusa."

Akatsuki's eyes clouded over as his thoughts went out to their cousin. For most of his life, Hanabusa had idolized and believed in the head of the Kuran clan. Kaname's latest action would most definitively have dealt a devastating blow to his once-unshakable faith. Over the past few weeks, Akatsuki had often wondered how his cousin was faring. But given their strict order to lay low for awhile, he had no way of contacting his cousin.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "Though I hope, for once in his life, he won't do something rash."

"The Troublemaker," Ruka smiled fondly as she remembered back to their childhood together. "He'd always come up with these crazy ideas and somehow end up convincing us they were sane plans."

"Yeah," his lips curled up into a crooked smile. "And I always end up being the one getting the blame."

"And why is that?" Ruka asked. Their parents always shook their head and called the two boys the Troublesome Duo, when really, it was always Hanabusa who led them into the mess. Now that she thought about it, Akatsuki almost always ended up with the blame, even when it was something that she inadvertently triggered when she fought with Hanabusa.

Akatsuki shook his head. "It was nothing."

There was still a lingering smile on his lips as he met her gaze. For that brief moment when their eyes locked, a wealth of memories flashed before their eyes. Of happier and simpler times back in their childhood. Hanabusa and Ruka fighting on the playground while Akatsuki tried to keep things under control. The three of them getting scolded by their parents. Sneaking into the kitchen to bribe some cookies off the head chef. They were inseparable. No matter what they were doing – fighting, playing, napping, laughing – they always did it together.

Then, Ruka blinked and they were brought back to the present.

Akatsuki looked away. Moments come and moments fade. That was how time passes. Anyone who believed otherwise was foolish at best.

"He'll be okay," Ruka decided, her hazel-coloured eyes firm with confidence. "Though," she added as she stared down at her coffee cup. Her fringe fell forward, hiding her gaze from view. "It would be nice to find out what he's doing at the moment."

Noticing Ruka stifling a yawn, Akatsuki glanced down at his watch. "It's getting late," he said. "We should get back and try to get some rest."

"Why?" Ruka's shoulder jerked. "So we could spend another day in this small town while waiting for further instructions?"

"Ruka?" He reached across the table to clasp one of her hands.

Ruka stared down at their joint hands for a few moments. Then, she sighed and pushed back from the table. "Fine, let's go back."

"Wait," Akatsuki rose from his seat and walked over to her side. He grabbed her coat from the back of the chair and helped her into it. Having done that, he pulled out his wallet and dropped some cash onto the table.

"Such a gentleman," Ruka shot a twisted smile up to him. "Is there anything you can't do?"

For a brief moment, his foolish heart leapt at the endless possibilities. Maybe this would be the moment she finally took notice of him. Maybe this would be the moment she would crack a genuine smile in his presence. Maybe this would be the moment she...

But he knew these were nothing more than foolish dreams of his. The moment passed and she was simply Ruka Souen – as beautiful and unattainable as ever.

Brushing those errant thoughts aside, Akatsuki turned and headed for the stairs. But before he could take a step, he was stopped by a gentle tug on his jacket.

"I'm sorry," Ruka murmured. Her gaze was fixed firmly on the floor. "I think I did something wrong."

"No, Ruka." Sighing, he lowered his head close to her ears. "There's nothing to be sorry about."

"I did something wrong," she insisted.

"No," he shook his head. He took her hand and tugged her along. "Come on, let's head back."

As they climbed down the stairs to the ground floor, Ruka said quietly from behind him. "I am trying to change but it's hard. One day, I will be strong and responsible."

He tilted his head back and smiled at her. "I know."

And until that day came, he would continue to wait for her.

"Come on, it's this way," he murmured as he guided her through the crowded street with a supporting hand on the small of her back.

Until that day came, moments like this would have to be enough.


	2. Chapter 2: Alone with Her Own Thoughts

**Chapter Two: Alone with Her Own Thoughts**

Arriving back at the hotel, they stepped into absolute chaos. Check out time was nearing and the atrium of the hotel was completely and utterly packed. Those at the front desk were busy retrieving keys and signing off the customers who were leaving. The cleaning crew was running around trying to get the recently vacated rooms ready. The newly arrived customers were lounging around in the waiting room, reading newspapers and drinking coffee. The bellboys, heavily loaded down with luggage, were popping in and out of the elevators.

"Well..." Ruka trailed off as she looked around. "This is just great."

A frown settled between her eyebrows and her mood nosedived. She had never been fond of hanging around humans but she had put up with it for the last couple of days because... well, she mostly stayed in her room. Whenever they did come out at night, the corridors were mostly empty. What was the point of staying in a five-star resort if it was packed to the rafters like a cheap motel at Grand Central?

"Here," Akatsuki nudged her towards one of the empty sofas. "You take a seat while I go and see if the cleaning crew is done with our rooms."

Dependable as ever, Akatsuki strode into the mayhem without a backward glance. Sighing, Ruka lowered herself into the seat. The queue at the front desk was quite long so it may be awhile before they could go up to their rooms. As she sat there, watching people rushing around, she struggled not to yawn. Exhaustion was slowly setting in. Unable to sleep, she had spent the last couple of days tossing and turning in her bed. So now, despite all the noise, Ruka couldn't stop her eyes from slowly drifting shut.

"He looks so wicked!"

Ruka's ears pricked up. Lifting her head, she found a group of girls standing a couple of metres away from where she was sitting. They were pretty, she supposed, for humans. Every single one of them was wearing miniskirts coupled with camisole tops. Despite the lack of variety, Ruka had to admit that their taste in fashion was impeccable.

"Do you think he's famous or something?" The tallest of the group asked the others.

"He could be a celebrity," the brunette standing beside her suggested. "Or a model."

"He does look familiar..."

"All that wild hair," one of the girls fanned herself with one hand. "May, I'd love to run my hands through it."

_Wild... _Ruka's forehead creased. She knew who they were talking about now. It was a label that became stuck ever since they started going to Cross Academy. Even now, it was used by those who failed to see beyond his looks. They just automatically assumed they knew who he was on the inside.

_Idiots..._ Ruka mentally sneered as she glowered at the girls. Out of all the humans, she hated fan girls the most. They were all empty-minded, constantly squealing and were willing to do anything to get close to their idols. Don't they have any sense of dignity and self-respect?

_Aren't you just like them?_

As that errant thought entered her mind, Ruka suddenly felt disquieted. Born into an aristocratic family, she was raised up too well to ever reduce herself into a screaming fanatic fan girl. Her adoration for Kaname-sama was much more dignified. She always tried to be useful. Unlike those Day Class girls who only knew how to scream and cheer. She never got in the way, whereas the other girls always seemed to swarm in packs. She would do anything to make him happy, whereas the human girls wanted him to make them happy.

It was not the same.

_No. But isn't it much worse?_

As a pureblood, Kaname-sama was way out of her league. She knew right from the start, he could never be hers. Moreover, she knew he would never return her feelings. But despite all that, she had spent a good part of her life chasing after him with her heart on her sleeve. Even now, she was at his every beck and call.

_What has your life been reduced down to, Ruka?_

Suddenly afraid to be alone with her own thoughts, Ruka scanned the crowd for that familiar flash of messy red hair. Perhaps it stemmed back to their shared childhood, but she had always found Akatsuki's presence soothing and unobtrusive. He was as solid and dependable as a rock, anchoring her to safety whenever her irrationality went one step too far. Having always lived like this, she wasn't sure what her life without him would be like.

"Let's go up to him." Those annoying girls were still talking about him. "Maybe we can convince him to take us out for a cup of coffee."

With her mood already sour, those annoying words merely added fuel to the fire. Knowing she was probably going to lose her temper at any moment now, Ruka choked back a moan of relief when she finally spotted his tall figure. If she stayed next to them for a second longer, she would probably end up doing something she regret – like storming up and slapping one of them in the face.

Instead, she settled for an icy "excuse me" as she walked past them.

A true lady never makes a scene in public.

As she weaved her way through the crowd, she realized she wasn't happy. And she hasn't been happy for a very long time. Lately, she was always getting annoyed at little things that were beyond her control. Though she realized in needed to change, she just wasn't sure how she should go about it.

"Ruka?" Akatsuki blinked in surprise when she popped up next to him.

"It was too noisy by the couch," she sniffed as she stood by his side. "I could barely hear myself think."

Akatsuki looked around at the people chatting in the queue around them. "And this is better?" He gave her a crooked smile.

Ruka refused to lower herself into giving a response. Seriously, if she wasn't around, he would probably have been overrun by those idiot girls already. Although Akatsuki was intelligent and strong, in so many areas, he was as clueless as a headless sheep. When she thought about it that way, he probably needed her as much as she needed him.

"Ruka?" Akatsuki nudged her forward as the queue moved forward by a couple of steps. "Did something happen back there?" He glanced back to where Ruka had been sitting.

"No, no," Ruka denied as she also looked back over her shoulders. She didn't know why but she was pleased to see the girls now looked visibly deflated. "I guess I wanted to see what was taking so long."

"Well," Akatsuki looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze. When he does that, Ruka always felt like he could see right inside her head. It was ... an unnerving feeling. But before she got too nervous, he blinked and his amber eyes turned back to the front desk. "There must be an upcoming festival or something..."

"I thought the whole reason we're in this town was to keep a low profile," Ruka grumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. "How are we supposed to do that with so many humans milling around?"

Her companion hummed in agreement as he continued to scan the crowd around them. "As long as we keep to ourselves, I don't think there's too much for us to worry about."

"Sure," she sighed as they moved forward another couple of steps.

"You're not getting irritated," Akatsuki commented as he studied her. "I keep expecting you to throw a temper tantrum."

Her right eye twitched. "If you keep saying things like that, I'll show you a temper tantrum."

Akatsuki visibly hesitated but he didn't say a word. Awkward silence fell between the two of them like a bag of heavy lead. All around them, humans carried on as if there was nothing wrong.

She seemed to have done something wrong again. It seemed old habits were hard to get rid of. Even now, she still played the role of a spoilt noble girl to a T.

She needed to learn how to change.

"I'm sorry," Ruka murmured after awhile. In the past eighteen years of her life, she had perhaps apologized a handful of times. Yet this was the second time she apologized that day. She was beginning to sound like a broken record.

Akatsuki didn't say a word. Instead, he placed a hand at the small of her back and guided her up to the front desk.

"Good morning, ah..." The serviceman at the front desk looked up and was stunned into a dazed silence.

"Hi," Akatsuki's deep voice rang out. "We were wondering if our rooms are ready yet."

"Ah, o-of course, just let me check," the man quickly turned his attention to the computer screen in front of him. His fingers flew across the keyboards as he scanned for the information he needed. "Ah yes, 5.14. The cleaners are done for the day."

The man turned around to the shelf behind him and started searching for their room key.

While waiting, Akatsuki spoke to Ruka. "There's nothing to be sorry about."

They were the exact same words as the ones he spoke in the cafe shop. And same as last time, Ruka wasn't sure how to respond to it.

"Here you go." Having found the key, the serviceman turned and deposited it in Akatsuki's hand.

"Thanks," Akatsuki smiled in response. Leaning over the counter, he added, "I was wondering if, in the future, our rooms could be taken care of a bit earlier in the morning?"

"Uh, sure," the serviceman blinked in surprise, still slightly dazed by the stunning couple in front of him. It was a rather unusual request. Most customers preferred to sleep in. He quickly jotted down a note: _couple in 5.14 prefer early clean-up_.

"We're not –" Ruka began to say but she stopped herself. Before, she would have vehemently denied any insinuations that she had feelings for anyone else except Kaname-sama, but now...

_What was the point?_

"Never mind," she said instead as she walked away. "Thank you."

Once away from the hectic atrium, their trip up the stairs and into their room was blessedly short and quiet. Neither of them spoke a word in the elevator. As she walked down the ornately-decorated corridor of the fifth floor, Ruka believed she was beginning to accept that there were some things in life that she couldn't change. Maybe it was time for her to let go of the illusion of control and just let things be. Other people will have their thoughts and beliefs. What rights did she have to jump down their throats and clear things up? They were only humans. Their opinions didn't even matter to her anyway.

When Akatsuki slid the key into the door of suite 5.14, it opened up to a large spacious living room. A three-seater leather couch sat in the centre, facing an open fireplace. On its left, up against the wall, was a well-stocked bar and a small though functional kitchenette. On the other side of the couch, two adjacent doors led to their separate bedrooms, each with its own ensuite. The whole suite was large, luxurious and befitting of their standing. But to Ruka, it felt like they were staying in a temporary holding cell, waiting to find out what happens next.

"Do you want to eat anything?" Akatsuki asked as he walked into the room. He shrugged off his coat, and threw it over the back of the couch. Without a backward glance, he ducked into the kitchenette.

"No," she sighed and took off her jacket too. She turned and hung it up on the hook behind the front door.

"A drink?" Akatsuki asked as he popped his head back through the doorway. "I know you didn't have a tablet yesterday."

"Uh," she blinked, surprised he'd noticed. She didn't even remember she'd skipped a day until he brought it up. "Yeah, I guess."

While she waited for him to prepare the drinks, she walked over to the couch and picked up his dark coat. _Men..._ She mentally chuckled as she hung it up as well. In all their time at the academy, she had only stepped into Akatsuki and Hanabusa's room a handful of times. Books, clothes, and random bits of memorabilia that Hanabusa collected were strewn all over the room. Even now, she shuddered at the memory.

"Here you go," Akatsuki spoke out from behind her.

Startled out of her thoughts, she found herself facing the door, still clutching Akatsuki's coat. Letting go, she turned around and accepted the drink Akatsuki offered her. She took a sip, grimacing slightly at the taste. Although the tablets kept the thirst at bay, it was still a poor replacement of real blood. Bracing herself, she tilted the glass back and gulped it down in one go.

"Thanks," she said as she handed the empty glass back to Akatsuki.

"No problem," he murmured over the rim of his own glass. "You've been really quiet. What's been on your mind?"

She lifted her head and found him gazing down at her with that intense yet warm look on his face. "I... uh," she shrugged helplessly, unable to think of an appropriate reply. How was she meant to tell him something she couldn't even figure out herself? "I don't know. I just have a lot on my mind lately, I guess."

Had it been anybody else here – Hanabusa, Rima, even her parents – they would have pressed the issue. Akatsuki, on the other hand, just nodded his head. Without another word, he headed back into the kitchenette with the empty glasses.

"I'm heading to bed," she announced as she headed for the bedrooms.

"Okay," Akatsuki called out from the other room. "Sleep well."

"Sure," Ruka murmured as she pushed open the door on the left. Stepping inside, she kicked the door close behind her. "I'll try, at least."

Even now, tired to the bones, her mind was still swirling with thoughts. Everything she believed in and strived for has all crumbled down like a poorly constructed deck of cards. Metaphorically, she felt like she was standing at a crossroad, not sure which of the numerous paths ahead she should take. As she stared at the large canopy bed at the centre of the room, with her thoughts as her only companion, there was only one thing she knew for certain.

It was going to be another long and sleepless day for Ruka Souen.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I feel like Ruka is going to make this story difficult for me. Even though I hate her pining after Kaname, I feel like her emotions are too deep to simply wipe away in one line (one day, she wakes up and realizes she's no longer in love with him). She's too complex for that...

This story is going to be alternating between Ruka and Akatsuki. Hence why this chapter feels a lot different from the previous one. Akatsuki's POV is a lot more poetic and observant, cause he's the thinking kind of guy. Whereas, I feel like Ruka's POV is going to be more irrational and messy – she tends to come across with a lot of emotions, leaving room for very little else. So I've really struggled with this chapter and I hope it came across as realistic.

Witless Fool


	3. Chapter 3: A Hint of an Oncoming Storm

**Chapter Three: A Hint of an Oncoming Storm**

As the sun slowly sets over the horizon, it illuminated the sky with a firework of colours. It was as if an artist had taken a brush to the canvas that was the sky and decided to colour the clouds with strokes of molten gold. It was the sun's final farewell before it disappeared over the edge for the night – a momentary reminder to all who noticed it that nothing lasts forever. And all good things must come to an end.

Sadly, few took notice of this spectacular display. As the evening sets, the streets began to be filled with humans who were lost in their own thoughts and plans for the evening. After a hard day at work, most were rushing home where they had more tasks to do – cooking dinner, looking after the kids, and catching the evening news. Peak hour traffic stalled them momentarily in their tracks, fuelling the discontent that was already bubbling under the surface. Horns blaring, angry voices shouting, a cacophony of disjointed sounds filled the evening air.

But neither the impressive sky show nor the noise out on the streets reached the darkened rooms of suite 5.14. The windows facing west were covered with heavy dark drapes. A few streams of light managed to escape through the cracks between the folds, but their feeble attempts to illuminate the room were easily ignored. Located high up in the building, the rooms also escaped all the noise on the ground level. Even if some strands of conversation managed to reach them, they would be shut out by the fortified soundproof walls.

Inside, all was dark and quiet.

But as time slowly ticked its way into eight o'clock, the slumbering resident in the bedroom on the right began to stir. First, one long arm freed itself from the mound of covers, stretching out to almost touch the headboard. It was joined a few moments later by its partner. Eventually, unable to put off the inevitable, a sleepy head with messy untamed red hair popped itself out of the covers.

Yawning, Akatsuki slowly sat up in bed and stretched out his arms above his head. For him, sleep was one of the most pleasant activities. There were no memories of the past, thoughts about the present, or worries for the future. Instead, the normally busy mind is lulled into a gentle blissful rest, utterly unfettered. But once awake, awareness comes crashing back like a thundering wave and the mind becomes burdened once again.

With a regretful sigh, Akatsuki Kain slipped out of bed to face the night.

He had never been one who gave much thought into what he wore. There was already too much things going on in his mind without having to worry about what to wear. So, falling back on old habits, a bare-chested Akatsuki walked over to his wardrobe and stuck his hand in. Great – a buttoned shirt. He shrugged into it, did up enough buttons to keep it on and gave it no more thought. After pulling on a pair of black pants, he was good to go.

"Oh good, you're awake."

Stepping out of the bedroom, Akatsuki was surprised to find his companion, Ruka, standing across the living room holding a steaming plate of food. She had her hair neatly curled up in a French braid and her fringe was held back by a white headband. She was wearing a pale pink sundress and on her feet was a pair of white high heels. With a white apron tied neatly around her waist, she looked like a model housewife in one of those home and garden magazines.

For a guy who didn't care much about his own wardrobe, Akatsuki was very observant of what others wore. _Or rather..._

Waving that thought away, he frowned as he strode across the room. She has been getting up before him for the last couple of days now – something that was almost unheard of. And although Ruka had always had an impeccable taste in fashion, her neat and colour-matching outfit indicated she had given a lot of thoughts into her clothes that day. In addition, he looked down at the plate she was holding and frowned.

"Did you make beef brisket?"

She did indeed. And it was accompanied by a tossed green salad and what appeared to be home-made bread rolls.

"Yeah, so what?" Ruka shifted her eyes to the side. Stepping around him, she placed the plate on the bar and put down a set of cutleries next to it. "Hope you are hungry."

The brisket alone would have taken hours to be slowly cooked to perfection. Sniffing at the scent wafting through the kitchen, Akatsuki's frown deepened. "And do I smell cake?"

"Mocha spice," she confirmed. "There's also a batch of cookies on the cooling rack." Then she suddenly whipped around and dashed back into the kitchenette. "The sauce!"

Picking up the plate, Akatsuki followed Ruka into the kitchenette. She was hovering over the stove top. After a quick taste, she threw a pinch of salt into the pot and stirred it with a wooden spoon.

"You're stressed."

It was a statement, not a question.

With her back facing him, Ruka nervously shrugged as she continued to stir the contents of the pot. "Couldn't sleep," she finally admitted after a long pause. "I thought cooking would settle my nerves." She chuckled as she turned off the stove and put a lid on the pot. "Ended up making enough food to feed a small army."

Akatsuki leaned against the fridge as he took a bite of the brisket. The flavours exploded in his mouth as the tender meat melted against his tongue. It was simply amazing. He tried some of the salad and grunted in approval. Knowing Ruka was silently observing him, he kept his face passive as he plowed his way through the delicious meal.

As he ate, Akatsuki couldn't help but be concerned. Ruka has been acting strange lately. Ever since their last trip to the Hanadagi castle, she had been quiet and withdrawn. Before, her smiles were rare. Now, they were almost non-existent. There was a perpetual frown on her face. Her lips were often pressed together in a thin line. And her eyes were often downcast and dull.

What was even more concerning was the fact she never lost her temper anymore. Sure, on rare occasions, her right eye would twitch and her hands would unconsciously curl up into fists. But then, she would blink and looked depressed, as if she was disappointed with herself. Instead of blowing up, she would calmly apologize – something Ruka never used to do.

Something was definitely going on. But until she confides in him, Akatsuki could only stand by the side and try to watch out for her.

It was why he had been doing for years. It was what he was best at.

Polishing off the plate, he set it down and picked up the bread roll. Breaking it with his hands, he tossed small chunks into his mouth while watching Ruka as she picked up the plate and began serving him more food. "What do you want to do tonight?"

Ruka shrugged as she neatly scooped up a decent serving of spaghetti and spun it onto the plate with a deft hand. "I don't care." Akatsuki detected a hint of resentment in her voice. She kept her head low as she poured a ladleful of meatball and sauce over the spaghetti and topped it off with some freshly grated cheese.

He kept quiet as he dutifully ate what she gave him, though to be fair, it was not at all hard to eat her food. When they were small, Ruka had learnt how to cook from a professional chef that her parents had hired. He knew because often, she'd beg him and Hanabusa to tag along, figuring that if one of them made an error, the chef would scold them instead of her. It was quite an effective tactic, considering Hanabusa, despite being the master of ice, burnt everything he touched – which, one time, included the kitchen sink. Lost in his thoughts, Akatsuki only realized he'd cleared the plate when his fork scraped against the clean plate.

"What are you thinking about?" Ruka, still studying him, asked as she leaned against the stove behind her.

"Nothing," Akatsuki murmured as he set the empty plate down. He wished they could go back to those simpler times. Back then, the biggest worries for the three of them was whether the chef would serve their favourite dessert that evening or how long their playtime would be. Now, the looming crises were the peace treaty between vampires and hunters; the battle for control between the purebloods and the council; and what could possibly be a war between the purebloods.

She looked like she didn't believe him. But she didn't say a word. Instead, she glanced at all the uneaten food she had prepared. "Still hungry?"

"No, I'm good for now." Unable to help it, his lips curled up into a smile. Did she expect him to eat everything she'd cooked? "Did you eat anything?"

She shook her head.

Worry set in once again. Other than a few slices of cake at the cafe shop that morning, Akatsuki hasn't seen Ruka eat anything for a couple of days now. Sighing, he reminded himself to make sure she eats something soon. "Why don't you go and take a seat while I put all this away?"

Ruka lifted a restless shoulder. "Fair's fair," she replied in a light tone. Pushing off the counter, she shifted her body to move out of the way.

It was easier said than done. The kitchenette was quite narrow with counters and shelves arranged in a U-shape. There was really enough room for one person. Added to the complication was Akatsuki's tall and large figure.

He stepped to the right, creating a small space between the fridge and himself. Ruka squeezed through it. It was a tight fit. Her body was brought close into contact with his. For that brief moment in time, Akatsuki could feel her thighs pressing against his left leg, her arms placed on his shoulder for added ease of movement and her breasts brushing against his arm. Instantly, his body became inflamed with awareness. Then, that moment passed and he felt bereaved at the loss of contact.

"Excuse me," Ruka murmured quietly as she twisted herself free and without a backward glance, left the kitchenette.

Mentally cursing himself for letting such a trivial thing get to him, Akatsuki focused his attention on packing up the food and cleaning away the cooking utensils. Why was he always such a fool? Treasuring each insignificant moment or incident that occurred between the two of them and polishing them in his mind until they shone like small diamonds. To her, it probably meant nothing. _He_ probably meant nothing. In her heart, there was only... His fingers curled tightly around the edge of the sink.

Akatsuki shut his mind against that thought. He didn't want to think about it just yet. One day, when he was strong enough to walk down his own path, he would have to face it. But for now, his mind needed to hold onto that foolish hope for just a little while longer.

When all the food was put away and the room sparkled, Akatsuki went back out to the living room. Ruka was sitting in front of the fireplace, still wide awake. She had taken the french braid out, letting her hair cascade down her back like a curtain of curls. She looked beautiful and so painfully unattainable. Diverting his eyes to the view outside the window, Akatsuki noted that it was past midnight.

"Why don't we take a walk outside?" He suggested, thinking it would be good for her to get some fresh air. Maybe she would even come back later and take a nap.

Besides, he suspected something was going on out there. The town, despite being the bustling economic hub of the local district, was not a tourist destination. Save for an occasional human coming here on a business trip, outsiders rarely came here. So there was no reason why the resort would be overflowing with customers.

Ruka stirred, looking up over her shoulder at him. "Sure." She stood up and dusted herself off. "It's not like we're doing anything of importance in here."

Outside, the air was fresh and crisp. It was also deathly quiet. Most humans were indoors, asleep.

"Quit staring at me," Ruka suddenly said as they walked down a deserted street.

He blinked in surprise, unaware he was doing so. He was trying to think of a way to get her to talk to him about her problems.

She stopped walking and stared down at her heels. Thrusting a frustrated hand into her hair, Ruka sighed. "I feel so... _useless_ at the moment! There's so much going on and what am I doing? Sitting around like –" She stopped suddenly. "Do you sense that?"

Akatsuki had also gone perfectly still. "Yeah," he murmured quietly, his amber eyes glinted with awareness. It was faint but distinct. There was no mistaking that scent.

Freshly spilt blood.

Without another word, the two of them flew into action. Darting forward with an inhuman speed, they soundlessly dashed down the street towards the source of the smell.

They found it in one of the side alleys. Hidden from plain sight by a large rubbish bin, a vampire was holding a young woman captive and feasting on her blood. The girl was still alive, but she was frozen in captivity, her eyes dull with no hint of alertness and her heart beat was shallow and irregular.

"Let her go," Akatsuki growled, a small ball of flame lit up in his right hand. Not only was the vampire breaking the agreement, but if he was left unchecked, he would most likely bring some unwanted attention to this part of town – something Akatsuki and Ruka did not need.

Lifting his blood-stained mouth up from the victim's neck, the vampire grinned and bared his fangs at them. "What are you going to do?" He taunted them. "There are no purebloods around bossing us around."

"If you want to keep your life," Akatsuki warned him. "I'd suggest you step away from her and leave this town."

"Akatsuki," Ruka whispered, her back pressed against his. "We've got company."

He stiffened. He didn't need to turn around to know who was behind them. Their weapons were emitting an ominous aura that he could not ignore.

Vampire hunters.

"How nice of you guys to join the party," the vampire smirked as he slowly stood up. "Vampires and hunters. Working together? That's something new."

_Bang! Bang! _

Two shots were fired in rapid succession. Akatsuki and Ruka flinched as the bullets flew past them and hit the vampire right in the chest. With a strangled scream, the vampire stumbled back due to the force of the bullets before bursting into a dust storm of ashes.

Akatsuki's fingers curled up into a fist, extinguishing the flame he was holding. Turning around, he faced the vampire hunters. There were three of them, none of whom he recognized. What's more, they did not look happy to see Akatsuki and Ruka there. "Thanks for your help," he said in a cordial tone. "You guys might want to take care of the girl. I think she needs some urgent medical attention."

The one on the right sheathed his knife and stepped around them to take a look at the girl. The other two were still staring at them with wary eyes. The one who fired the gun still had it raised and it was trained firmly on them.

"If there's nothing else we could do," Akatsuki's tone remained friendly and light. He subtly nudged Ruka until she was safe behind him. "We'll take our leave now."

"You're Kain, aren't you?"

Akatsuki blinked his eyes in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"The future president of the association mentioned to be on the lookout for a tall poorly dressed redhead with _wild_ hair," the man stressed the word wild.

"Hey," Ruka spoke out from behind Akatsuki. "I don't think you're in any position to criticize his clothes." Akatsuki didn't need to turn around to detect the disdain in her voice. Her tone was cool and classy, like a high society lady talking down to a servant.

The gun shifted to aim at her and Akatsuki sidestepped into the way. The man continued talking. "He also mentioned the redhead probably had a haughty female companion."

"Excuse me?" Ruka's voice just dropped another couple of degrees in temperature.

"Look," Akatsuki raised his hands in surrender. "We are just going to leave now."

The man cocked his gun, ready to fire. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that," he said quietly. "You are Kaname's right-hand man. You must know what he's up to. We're taking you in for questioning."

Akatsuki stayed quiet as he lowered his hands. But before he could try to subtly light up a fire, Ruka's cool hand grabbed his.

"Stay quiet," she whispered into his ear.

Suddenly, all three hunters jerked in surprise and started looking around in alarm.

"Where did they go?" The vampire hunter snarled, waving his gun around.

"They just disappeared." His companion said in amazement.

"No," the third man, who was now carrying the human girl in his arms. "They're still here somewhere."

Suddenly, Akatsuki understood. Ruka was drawing on her powers to make them invisible. She was still standing behind him, so he couldn't see her face. Her right hand was clutching his as she needed physical contact to protect him as well. She curled her left arm around his waist and slowly drew him backwards until they were flat against the wall.

Suddenly, in the spot where they had stood a moment ago, a physical projection of the two of them flared up. The illusion quickly darted forward and ran down the alley.

"Hey, come back!" All three vampire hunters gave chase.

"Ruka?" Akatsuki whispered in concern. He needed to turn around to see her but she was pressed up against his back with her arm still around him.

"Give me directions out of this town," her voice came out, raspy and hoarse as she was running a marathon. "Quick!"

"Uh," Akatsuki quickly rattled his brain, trying to picture the town in his mind. "There should be a left turn on the street just outside."

"Uh-huh," Ruka murmured. Her grip on him tightened.

"Continue down that path until you get to a major intersection."

Her fingers jerked in his hand in response.

"Turn right and continue down that road until you see a sign for a pharmacy. Turn left and the path will take you right to the main exit out of this town." Akatsuki quickly rattled off the information.

He wasn't sure how long they stood there. Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes. But eventually, Ruka slipped her hand out of his and loosened her grip on his waist.

Turning around, Akatsuki saw her face was pale and her eyes were wide with shock. She was visibly trembling and shivering as if she was cold. Holding back a string of curses that was on the tip of his tongue, Akatsuki quickly shrugged off his coat and bundled her into it.

"You okay?" He asked, concerned about how much she used. Ruka's ability to create illusions was mentally draining at the best of times, which is why she rarely used it. But to create a physical projection of not only her but also him – Akatsuki didn't even know she could do that. Plus, she had barely ate or slept in the past few days. She must be exhausted right now.

"Yeah," Ruka nodded, trying to take a step forward. "I'm..." she stumbled to the side and almost fell if Akatsuki didn't grab her in time.

"That's it," he decided as he held her tight in his arms. "We're going back and you're going to have a lie-down."

Unable to stand up by herself, Ruka wrapped her arms around him. "No, they may end up coming back and looking for us. I just need a minute." Unable to help herself, her eyes fluttered shut.

"No, you need some blood and food in you," he growled, frustrated at being unable to help her carry the load. "I'll see if there's a restaurant or something that's open." He kept a protect arm around her waist as he helped her walk down the street.

But there wasn't. The only places that were open were bars and nightclubs.

"Let's just go in there," Ruka pointed at a nightclub on the corner of the street. Even from where they were standing, they could hear the dance music blaring out from it. There was a bouncer guarding the door and a string of customers queued up outside, waiting to get in. "They'll never expect us to be hiding among a mass of humans."

Akatsuk frowned at the massive line. "I don't think we'll be able to get in for awhile."

Even though she was tired, Ruka managed to roll her eyes up at him. "Akatsuki, this has nothing to do with who waited the longest. It's all about appearances. Here." She took off his jacket and forced him into it. Ruffling up his shirt until it was even messier than usual, she tugged at his collar until they were standing up. She then took off her jacket and slung it over his arm. Turning her attention onto herself, she purposely slipped one strap off her shoulder and hitched her dress up to just below her thighs. "There, how do I look?"

"Uh," Akatsuki cleared his throat, finding himself unable to form any words. "Great. Just great." He managed to stutter out.

"Yeah, yeah," Not paying him any mind, Ruka turned her attention to the club. Her hazel eyes were starting to show a hint of red hue. She needed to take a tablet and soon. "Let's go."

They walked up to the front door and sure enough, the bouncer took one look at them and let them in. Inside, the music was being blasted out of the speakers at an ear-splitting volume. There were humans everywhere, jostling and grinding on the dance floor. Spotting the bathrooms on the other side, they slowly made their way across the crowd.

"Here," Akatsuki slipped his box of tablets into Ruka's hand just before she entered the ladies' bathroom.

"Thanks," she murmured in response.

As the door closed behind her, Akatsuki leaned against the wall next to it and thought about what just happened. It was really strange. This town wasn't known to have vampires around. So what were vampire hunters doing here? And they seemed really serious about capturing him and Ruka. What was all that about?

But he guessed that this was inevitably going to happen. With Kaname-sama out there doing his own thing, he's left a pretty giant void in terms of leadership in the vampire society. Vampires were going to come out of every dark crevice and start doing their own thing. The hunters were going to get agitated and would want some answers for these breaches in their agreement. Tonight was just a small example of what was going to happen in the not-so-distant future.

It was a hint of an oncoming storm.

They had better be prepared.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I hope the length of this chapter made up for the delay. ^_^ I really should read things over before I publish it. But I wanted to get the chapter out to you guys as quickly as I can. Also, I spotted a couple of mistakes in the previous chapter but it's all corrected now. :)

And yes, I believe there's a plot in here somewhere. It's slowly rearing its ugly head. And a little teaser for the chapter ahead, there will be a kiss ^_~

Witless Fool

P.S. Thanks to all the reviewers. :) Your comments really spur me on to keep writing.

P.P.S. Some shameless cross-promotion: For something less serious but cute and fluffy, check out my one-shot "The Two Minute Rule" on Akatsuki and Ruka. :P


	4. Chapter 4: Unspoken Words

**Chapter Four: Unspoken Words**

Inside the restroom, Ruka slipped gratefully onto the lounge that stood at the centre of the room. She could feel her mind throbbing in time with the beat of the music outside. The walls dimmed the volume but she could still hear it and it was driving her crazy. Her head hurt so much. When they first entered the club, she almost broke down and begged Akatsuki to just knock her unconscious.

At least that way, she could escape the pain.

Alone, Ruka stared at her reflection in the mirror on the vanity table in front of her. Her eyes were slowly turning red with bloodlust. She lifted a trembling hand to her lips and knew her fangs were intruding. Unable to delay the inevitable, she slid open the box and tossed a tablet into her mouth. Dry swallowing it, she grimaced at the bitter aftertaste. Her stomach heaved in protest but she managed to force it down.

As a drink, the tablets tasted like a poor diluted version of blood, bland and tasteless. But as an actual tablet, it was downright foul. Eager to wash the taste out of her mouth, Ruka disregarded propriety and drank directly from the sink tap. After she had had enough, she turned off the tap and just stood there, resting her sweaty forehead against the vanity mirror.

She was feeling slightly better. The mind-splitting migraine had dulled down into a non-specific headache. The trembling had thankfully stopped and she could feel her heart rate slowing down to a normal regular pace. She sat back down on the lounge and just stared at herself.

The last couple of days have clearly taken a toll on her body. She had been practicing physical projections for awhile now and she had never had such a bad reaction afterwards. Perhaps projecting two bodies took double the amount of energy and concentration. She mused briefly about it, then bored with the thought, cast it away.

Something was clearly going on. Judging from what the hunters were saying, she wasn't the only one frustrated at not knowing what Kaname-sama was up to lately. Never one to be patient (that was more Akatsuki's area of expertise than hers), Ruka could feel resentment bubbling inside her, ready to explode at a moment's opportunity.

Sighing, she rested her chin on the palm of her right hand and just let her mind wander away. She was too tired for thoughts. She had been doing nothing but thinking for the last few days now and she was getting nowhere with them. She pictured herself drifting away on a cloud, without a worry in the world. She would be completely and utterly alone.

Her eyebrows creased at that thought.

She didn't want to be alone. She had never been alone before. Ever since she was little, there was always someone there looking out for her. Her mother, father, her grandparents, her aunts and uncles, Akatsuki and oddly enough, even Hanabusa on the rare occasions when they weren't fighting. She wasn't sure if she would like the experience of being by herself.

_But it was going to happen sooner or later. _

Suddenly, the door opened as a gang of giggling teenage girls stumbled into the bathroom. Most of them appeared to be drunk and several of them were clutching their high heels in their hands. Paying Ruka no mind, the group chattered their way across to the lounge on the far side of the restroom.

"Oh my god, did you see that guy out there?" One of the girls squealed as she primped herself in front of the mirror.

Ruka tuned them out. It was the hotel scene all over again, which in turn was a replay of their life back at the Academy. Everywhere they went, girls flocked around, staring and whispering among themselves. Or at least, that's how it always started. Eventually, the girls become bold enough to start idolizing and following them around. Gifts on Valentine's day and requests to the ball soon followed after.

It was pathetic.

Feeling better with some blood in her, she stood up and left the bathroom. Just as she'd expected, Akatsuki was leaning against the wall right next to the door, waiting for her. It was moments like this when she appreciated just how dependable and predictable he was.

But before she could say anything, a teenage girl staggered down the hallway and stumbled just before she got to the bathroom door. Quick as lightning, Akatsuki reached forward and grabbed the girl by the arms before she could fall. Expressionless, he held onto the girl until she was steady on her feet and without a word, he let go of her.

The girl looked up and for a few moments, just stood there, smiling up at the tall vampire as her dazed eyes inspected him from head to toe. Then, with a wicked grin on her face, she leaned forward and rested her hands on his broad shoulders. "Hi there."

An errant thought flashed across Ruka's mind. _Take your filthy hands off of him, you bitch..._

Though he was visibly annoyed, Akatsuki's polite upbringing was unwavering and steadfast. He removed the girl's hands from his body as gently as possible. "I'm actually waiting for..." his eyes shifted to the left and spotted Ruka. "Excuse me," he told the girl as he left her where she was and walked over to Ruka.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked, completely oblivious to the death glare that the girl shot Ruka as she slipped into the restroom.

"You are an idiot," Ruka told the tall redhead, her tone left no space for argument.

Akatsuki blinked in surprise, clearly taken aback by her foul mood. "What's wrong?" He asked, bending his head down to her level. "How many tablets did you take?"

Annoyed, she pushed his head out of her face. "You should pay a bit more attention to yourself."

"What?"

Ruka reached forward and dipped her finger into the front pocket of his jacket. Her hand came out with not one but three slips of paper. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was written on them. "And these just happened to fall into your pocket?" She raised an eyebrow.

He blinked again, obviously wondering where they came from and how they got there.

"You're an idiot." She repeated. Though this time, it was direct more to herself than him.

Looking up at him, Ruka felt a little melancholy. He was literally the last person standing by her side. But eventually, even Akatsuki, the most dependable person she ever knew, was going to leave. He'll find someone, fall in love and move on. On a purely selfish level, Ruka hoped Akatsuki never finds his soul mate. That sounds terribly cruel. It wasn't so much she didn't want him to be happy, she just needed him to be her rock for a little while longer.

_For now, just give me a little more time._

Behind her, the door swung open once again. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw it was the Giggling Gang back from their collective trip to the bathroom. She turned her head back to face Akatsuki, ready to suggest that they leave.

"Hey, I was wondering if you'd like to dance with me," one of the girls spoke out from behind her.

Ruka's shoulders tensed up. Turning around to face the girls, she said icily. "Excuse me, but we're in the middle of something here."

"Sorry for interrupting," the girl's lips were curled up into a big Cheshire cat grin, indicating she wasn't sorry at all. "We just want to steal your _friend_ for a few minutes, that's all. I hope you don't mind." She raised an eyebrow in question.

"Well, I do," Ruka retorted. She felt Akatsuki lay a comforting hand on her shoulder but she ignored it. Instead, she focused on the blonde bimbo standing in front of her. "So goodbye."

"Wasn't speaking to you," the girl shrugged, unfazed by Ruka's cutting words. She had her group of friends behind her in support. "So," she tilted her head at Akatsuki. "Do you want to join us for a little fun later?"

Ruka's arms began to tremble again. But this time, it was anger, not exhaustion, that was the trigger. She felt trapped and helpless. It was as if everybody else was moving forward while she was still stuck in the past. She didn't want to be alone.

"Whoa Ruka." Sensing something was wrong, Akatsuki grabbed her by the arms and turned her around to face him. "Are you okay?" He framed her face with both hands, forcing her to focus on him. "Look, just breathe."

_Don't leave me._

Desperate to cling onto the last person who was still by her side, Ruka grabbed onto Akatsuki's shirt with both hands and yanked him down, hard. The last thing she saw before she closed her eyes was his widening with shock. Without giving a damn about the consequences, she reached up and planted one on him.

It was hot and passionate. All those turbulent emotions she had buried inside, all those aimless thoughts of the past few days, they all came pouring out like water out of a broken dam. And as her lips moved urgently over his, for the first time in a very long time, she felt good. She felt alive.

It was meant to be brief, a firm and unyielding claim of possession.

But then he moved.

And everything changed.

His arms came around her waist like two steel bands. She couldn't have escaped if she had wanted to. And she didn't want to. Her hands were still clutching his shirt, her fingers curled up in fists. With one hand still curled protectively around her waist, the other trailed down to her thigh. Then, in one quick move, he backed her up against the wall and lifted her up. As she was hoisted up above him and her back came into contact with the cold wall, she gasped in surprise.

Taking advantage of her open mouth, Akatsuki shifted his head and plundered.

His tongue moved demandingly over her lips, before slipping in and gaining possession. Letting go of his shirt, her hands moved instinctively up into his fiery hair, tilting his head back to adjust for their new position as her tongue brushed hesitantly against his, withdrew, then returned for a long lingering taste. He tasted absolutely incredible.

The surroundings faded away until it was just the two of them, there, up against the wall in a nightclub where the loud dance music drowned out the racing sounds of their heartbeats. Caught up in a whirlwind of unexpected emotions, Ruka's mind was wiped clean like a blank slate. The only sensations she was aware of was his lips locked onto hers, her fingers tangled in his hair, the protective hold he had on her back and those sinful fingers tracing patterns on her bare thigh. She wanted it to last forever.

It was simply amazing.

After an eternity of moments later, their lips broke apart, both gasping for air.

"Ruka?" He queried, his burning eyes gazing up into hers.

Breathless, she could only hold onto his shoulders. It wasn't what she had expected yet at the same time, it was more than anything she had dreamt about.

"I-I..." she started but then trailed off. She didn't even know what she was going to say. What could she say? It was a momentary blip of insanity. She was a complete slave to her own feelings.

Despite her lack of reply, or perhaps because of it, Akatsuki nodded. With infinite care, he gently set her down onto her feet. Ruka was achingly aware of every place they touched as she slid down the length of his body. Feeling slightly shaken up by what happened, Ruka looked at her surroundings and noticed they were now the only people standing in the hallway. _When did the girls leave?_ She didn't know and she didn't care.

Letting go of her, Akatsuki took a step back and just stood there, looking away to the side.

Suddenly, she felt cold all over, as if someone had dumped a bucket of icy water on her. He was probably disgusted by her actions. Hell, he was probably disgusted by her. Fearful of the repulsion that she knew was coming, Ruka took a hesitant step forward and tugged on the hem of his jacket.

"Akatsuki?"

He looked down at her, his amber eyes were indescribably complicated.

"Do you hate me?" She tried to be brave about it but when the words came tumbling out of her mouth, she sounded like a timid five-years old girl.

Akatsuki sighed, his brows drawn together in a frown. "No, Ruka, of course I don't." With a gentle hand, he took the dress strap that had slid down her arm and lifted it back up her shoulder. His fingers left a heated trail of heightened nerves along her arm. "You know I don't. It's silly to think otherwise." He then took her jacket, which he was still carrying, and helped her into it. "Let's just go home."

Home.

It was such a strange word to call a hotel suite that they were temporarily residing in. But for now, she supposed it was as good a word as any.

On their way back to the hotel, neither of them said a word. Any other time, the silence would have been comfortable. But in the early hours of that morning, the silence was uncomfortable and stifling. She kept glancing up at her companion, wanting to say something. But every time her eyes looked up at that familiar face, her courage deserted her. And in the end, as they walked into the hotel, she swallowed back those unspoken words.

And for now at least, unspoken they would remain.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Ruka is driving me crazy, in a bad way. I sense a lot of anger, frustration and angry emotions swirling around inside her. And I tried my best to put that down in print. Again, I hope this came across as realistic. *sigh* Anyway, I'd love to know what you guys think. :)

Witless Fool


	5. Chapter 5: Cementing This Moment

**Chapter Five: Cementing This Moment**

The sky was slowly changing its hue. There weren't many people who would notice it. But when you have stared up at the night's sky in contemplation as often as Akatsuki has, you start to develop an appreciation for its subtle differences.

It started off as a midnight blue, so dark it was almost black. Then it slowly changed. The black melted away into a deep sapphire blue. And as time trickled into the early hours of the morning, the sky slowly lightened as if a painter had sprayed a fine mist of white paint on to the canvas. There was a definable point when one looks up and realizes it was no longer dark. Then, against a backdrop pale blue in colour, the sun peeked over the horizon, breathing life into a brand new day.

Akatsuki sat there on the window seat in his bedroom, deep in thought. He had his back against one edge of the window frame with his long legs stretched out across the cushioned seat. He was content to just sit there for awhile, staring up at the sky. But as the sun crept further up on to the sky, its unforgiving rays started to make him feel uncomfortable. With a regretful sigh, he drew close the curtains with one languid move and sat there, contemplating in the darkened room.

Last night was... indescribable. Even now, he could not quite wrap his head around it. And how could he? Matters of the heart were rarely rational and logical. There were no equations or correct answers. One thing did not naturally lead to another. There were no textbooks or scholarly articles to help guide the way. There was just him, with his feelings, in his room.

His hand was already halfway up to his face before he realized he had even raised it. He briefly hesitated but relented, allowing his fingers to complete the journey up to his lips. She had kissed him. There. On the lips. And it was a real kiss – no platonic brushing of the lips; no chaste locking of the lips between two close friends or relatives. It was full on. And it was real.

Then he lost control.

With a groan, Akatsuki dropped his hand as his head fell back against the wall in frustration. Whatever drove her to do what she did, he knew it wasn't romantic feelings for him. It was a brief moment of weakness. She was vulnerable and no in the right frame of mind to make good decisions. He should have been protecting her from herself. He should have offered words of comfort. He should have looked out for her like he always did.

But what did he do? He took what she had brazenly offered and kicked it up a notch. And in the process, they had burst into flames.

She lit the spark. But he set the fire.

Even now, he could replay the entire sequence in his mind as if they were happening right then and there. He could still feel her body pressed up against his, her lips moving hungrily over his, and her legs... Squeezing his eyes tightly shut, Akatsuki tried to block the images out of his mind.

Back there, in the throes of passion, he let his guards down for the first time in his life. All those unspoken feelings and unexpressed emotions came bursting out. What he could never say out loud, he conveyed them in that kiss, hoping she would finally understand. Finally realize. Finally see.

But as he sat there in his bedroom with her locking herself away in the room next door, Akatsuki knew he had to face the cold harsh reality –

His heart was hers. But hers belonged to someone else.

"Akatsuki?"

Startled out of his thoughts, Akatsuki looked towards the open doorway and found her standing there. She had changed into her night gown, but judging by her tired eyes and slightly mussed hair, it was clear that she couldn't go to sleep.

In an instant, Akatsuki pushed away his own thoughts and feelings into a locked compartment within the back of his mind and focused on her. It was what he did whenever she needed him. Because for him, her happiness was his. Her beliefs were his. Where she went, he would follow. Whatever she needed, he would do his best to give it to her. It has been like that ever since they were little kids.

It all sounded terribly clichéd but it felt true. There was just something about her that made him think of flowery prose and romantic phrases.

For him, Ruka Souen was everything.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he swung his legs over the ledge and rose from the window seat. Having been in the same position for the last couple of hours, his muscles ached in protest at the sudden movement. Akatsuki ignored the aches as he strode across the room to the doorway.

"Uh," Ruka's eyes widened, perhaps startled by their sudden proximity. The awkwardness of what just occurred was clearly just as fresh in her mind as it was in his. Unfortunately, he knew there was nothing he could do about it.

The two of them stood there, neither knowing what to say. Akatsuki hesitated, hoping Ruka would take the lead like she always did and let him know what she needed. But she just stood there, her eyes downcast.

Finally, when it became clear that she wasn't going to say anything, Akatsuki took the initiative. "You still look a bit pale. I'll go and get you another tablet."

He started to walk past her but she stopped him with a hand on his left arm.

"Akatsuki," she began with her eyes firmly fixed onto the floor. He stared down at her, waiting for her to continue. But she trailed off and didn't say another word.

He sighed. Clearly, they needed to get past this.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Ruka nodded her head, but kept her head bowed. Akatsuki started to reach out with his right hand to touch her hair in comfort but he fought the urge and forced it back down.

"I..." Ruka started but trailed off once again. She looked up and in that startling moment, their eyes met, clashed and held.

Wordlessly, without even realizing it, they leaned in towards each other. The gap between them disappeared. He lowered his head. She raised hers. And for the second time, their lips met.

It was gentler this time. There was no massive explosion of passion; no unbridled ardour. Instead, their lips touched, clung, parted, and then returned to each other for more. They both unconsciously turned their body towards one another. His arms encircled her waist. Her hands crept up to his broad shoulders. Slowly, Ruka's eyes drifted shut as they continued to explore this new unchartered territory together.

Akatsuki closed his eyes with a heavy heart. He knew it was foolish to think Ruka was doing anything more than seeking comfort, but he couldn't seem to erase that small spark of hope within him. Shutting his mind off, he sank into the kiss, willing himself to just enjoy the moment.

_Carpe diem. Seize the day. Live every day as if it were the very last._

Suddenly, the door swung open. Without even thinking about it, Akatsuki swung their bodies around until he was between Ruka and the door. Breaking away from the kiss, he glanced over his shoulder at the intruder, only to find a maid standing at the entrance with cleaning equipment in her hands.

Flustered, she stammered. "I-I'm sorry. I thought this room requested an earlier clean-up?"

Akatsuki exhaled loudly. He did make that request, expecting that they would often get back in the early morning with the need to sleep during the day without the interruption of the cleanup crew. _But of all the moments to ruin... _ "We did. We'll be going." He loosened his hold on Ruka and took a reluctant step back.

They exited the suite and stood out in the hallway, leaving behind a very embarrassed cleaning maid. Akatsuki leaned against the wall, tilting his head back to look up at the ceiling. Beside him, Ruka stood with her arms wrapped around herself. It seemed they were back to the awkward silence again.

"Do you want to talk about it?" It was Ruka this time, not him, who asked the question.

He glanced down at her. "Do you?"

She scrunched up her face in annoyance. "Why do you do that?" She demanded, their awkwardness temporarily forgotten. "You always answer my question with another question."

He chuckled. "I'm sorry." And in that instant, they were shown a glimpse of the past. A headstrong girl with a serious boy by her side. Then he hesitated, bringing them back to the present. "But seriously, do you want to talk about it?"

She shrugged as she looked away to the side. "You are my closest friend," she began softly, oblivious to the fact that those five little words both warmed his heart and shot it into pieces, all at the same time. "You've always been there for me. And for Hanabusa," she added. "I guess after what's happened in the last few months, I don't want to lose you."

Without a word, he drew her into his arms and just held her.

His heart was swirling in a sea of emotions. He was helpless, unable to escape from the position she had put him in. But at the same time, he couldn't imagine being anywhere else. Akatsuki rested his chin on the top of her head and breathed in her scent. She smelled like vanilla, honey cream and the roses she loved so much. He breathed in and just held her there, cementing this moment in his mind.

It would have to be enough.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Ruka drives me crazy. But Akatsuki just depresses me with his contemplative mood. It's like riding a rollercoaster of emotions. T_T

I had intended for this chapter to be longer with three separate sections, driving the plot forward, but this had a nice ending to it so I'll just stop here. The next couple of chapters will be short, to the point, but hopefully quick in updates. *fingers crossed*

Witless Fool


	6. Chapter 6: Goodbye, For Now

**Chapter Six: Goodbye, For Now**

Communication. Spoken words, written messages, visual aids, body languages – they all helped to convey thoughts from one person to another. Without them, nothing would ever get done. People would all become individual islands of solitude. Civilization as they knew it would cease to exist. And so, Akatsuki had to grudgingly admit that speaking to one another was a necessary part of daily life.

Though the humans often seemed to do an excess of it for no apparent reason.

He found himself downstairs sitting on the couch in the lobby, listening in to the conversations of the humans around him. After the maid was done with their suite, he had escorted Ruka to her room and stayed there until she had finally fallen asleep. He would have been content to stay there longer and just watch her. Unguarded in her sleep, she looked so peaceful and relaxed – something that she hadn't been for quite awhile now. But he left, figuring his heart had been dealt enough blows for one day already.

Unable to sleep himself, he decided now was a good time as any to figure out exactly what was going on in this town. The easiest way to do so was to get amongst the humans and just eavesdrop. Gossip and chatter seemed to be their specialty. And sure enough, within moments of sitting down, he was bombarded with strings of conversations. Unfortunately, most of it seemed to be complete utter rubbish.

"The trade deal fell through, I'm setting up a meeting next week for –"

"I'd love to visit the seaside again when summer comes –"

"Did you see the show last night? It was pretty good though –"

Sighing, Akatsuki shifted in his seat and tried the group of young men situated to his right. It didn't get any better.

"Did you see that pretty girl here yesterday afternoon?"

"Yeah, she was pretty amazing."

"Amazing? Talk about a total goddess."

_Shallow pigs..._ Akastsuki mentally thought as he looked away to his left. Human males in their late teens to early twenties always seemed to be obsessed with the physical appearance of females. Finding absolute no value in this conversation, he diverted his attention to the group of businessmen on his left. But then, his ears caught another phrase that had his blood boiling with fury.

"Yeah, she got off at the fifth floor. With all those groceries she was carrying, I wondered who she was cooking for. He must be one lucky son of a bitch."

In his lap, Akatsuki's hands curled into two tightly clenched fists. Fifth floor. Groceries. It could only be Ruka. Damnit, she wasn't some slice of meat for them to drool all over like a pack of dogs.

But just as quickly as his anger came on, it was replaced by a deep sense of worry. He didn't give it much thought yesterday when he woke up but now, he realized all the food Ruka made had to have come from somewhere. What was more worrying was that it meant, while he was sleeping, she had ventured out during daytime without any protection. With the state of things outside currently, and the run-in they had with vampire hunters last night, Akatsuki was going to have a serious talk with her once she wakes up.

But meanwhile, there were other things he needed to find out.

Deliberately turning his attention away from the young men because he didn't trust his own control, Akatsuki turned his attention elsewhere. After several minutes of pointless searching, he finally hit the jackpot.

It was two men sitting in the corner of the room. Both had a cup of coffee in one hand and a copy of that day's newspaper in the other. At first glance, they appeared to be just two businessmen talking shop early in the morning. But after a few moments, Akatsuki knew they were discussing something else entirely.

"Did your family get here alright?" The taller one, sitting with his back against the wall, asked. He looked relaxed and easygoing but his eyes were shifty, constantly scanning the crowd for any signs of trouble.

"Yeah," the other one nodded tersely in reply. "They got here yesterday afternoon. They were exhausted but thankfully, nobody was harmed. How about yours?"

"They're on their way out here tomorrow. I told them to leave at the crack of dawn and not a moment sooner."

"That's what people have been saying. It's not safe to be out at night these days."

"I know. Recently, there have been many people going missing at night, never to turn up again."

"It's been happening in my town as well. Word out on the streets is this town is the safest in the local district. That's why we came here."

"Same for me. Although with so many people congregated in this small town, I wonder if it's still safe."

"Well, I hope so. I had to close up shop to be here."

Akatsuki stopped listening as the two men moved onto other inane topics. He frowned as he mulled over the information in his mind. To the humans, it may have appeared to be just a sudden increase in crimes at night, but to him, it was obvious that it was something else entirely.

Vampires.

Now that he thought about it, it all made sense now. The sudden influx of humans into this normally quiet town. The vampire they came across last night. And the emergence of vampire hunters in the local area.

Ever since they left the Hanadagi castle and gone into hiding, it was natural for the night world to assume that Kaname-sama no longer cared to govern. Vampires started crawling out of the woodwork, eager to prey on the humans that they've long been denied from. Nocturnal disappearances were just the tip of the iceberg. Pretty soon, those brave enough will start wrecking havoc out on the streets in broad daylight.

Akatsuki thrusted out a hand into his hair in frustration. Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse. A few days ago, his only concern was to keep Ruka safe while being on the lookout for Kaname-sama. Then last night, they stumbled into vampire hunters who wanted to take him in for questioning. And now, looking around at the crowded lobby, he realized there was now a much bigger problem at hand.

If the out of control vampires weren't taken care of soon, their recklessness will cause the night world's carefully guarded secret identity to be leaked out to the humans.

It was simple, really. Without a leader, the vampires were getting restless.

Without rules, things get out of control.

Without order, there was chaos.

He sat there for awhile longer, catching glimpses of other conversations. Most of it was frivolous and pointless. But every now and then, there were worried murmurs of what was going on. Having heard enough, Akatsuki stood up, straightened his jacket and strode away without a backward glance.

Just as he was about to reach the hallway, a human girl stumbled into his path. Without giving it much thought, he held out a hand to steady her. With a mumbled apology, the blushing girl darted away.

_You're an idiot_ – Ruka's voice suddenly ran through his mind.

Pausing, he dipped his hand into his pocket and came out with a slip of paper. Sure enough, it had a phone number written on it in a feminine handwriting. In this case, he guessed Ruka was right and he was kind of an idiot. He can take down vampires and evade hunters without too much effort, but for some reason, these girls always seemed to sneak past without him noticing. If the former was more like the latter, Akatsuki would have been in serious trouble.

He chucked the paper into a nearby waste bin and continued on his way. But again, he was stopped. Yet this time, it wasn't because of a human. Looking up at the ceiling, he could just make out a small dark object fluttering around in the corner. The humans didn't notice it but Akatsuki's entire body tensed up with awareness.

The object – a bat – fluttered along the edges of the ceiling and ducked out into the hallway. Akatsuki followed it into hallway, up the staircase and eventually into a small deserted alcove on the second floor. He didn't really need to keep a close eye on the bat to know where it was heading – the compulsion to follow was so strong he could probably walk there with both eyes closed. And even before he stepped into the alcove and turned on the light switch, he knew exactly what – or who – he was dealing with.

"Kaname-sama."

* * *

><p>The bat fluttered down from the ceiling onto his waiting hand. It lay there for awhile before merging together like liquid. The king of the night was reclining in a lounge chair. His head was resting on one hand while the other was draped listlessly on the arm of the chair. Even though he must obviously be aware of Akatsuki's presence, there was no difference in Kaname-sama's posture. He appeared to be deep in thought, or deeply exhausted. Perhaps a bit of both.<p>

Being alive for thousands of years, only to witness the same wars being waged, the same battles being fought, with no progress to show for all that effort – it must be draining on one's soul.

Akatsuki didn't know what he's been up to in the last days or whether he was aware of all the turmoil out on the streets. But he held back his questions and just stayed silent. It wasn't his place to question Kaname-sama's motives or plans.

His cousins followed Kaname-sama with unwavering faith. They believed blindingly in his plans and goals, often declaring out loud that what he was doing was for the greater good.

But unlike Ruka and Hanabusa, who had leapt in with both eyes closed, Akatsuki had slowly stepped in with his eyes wide open. After all, somebody had to keep an eye out for those two. And although he knew Kaname-sama would never so recklessly endanger the lives of countless humans and vampires, he didn't think his plans were all altruistic. Despite being a powerful almighty pureblood monarch, Kaname-sama had a huge blind spot.

Yuuki Kuran – the youngest pureblood princess.

Akatsuki knew Kaname-sama would stop at nothing to ensure Yuuki-sama's safety. He would flatten mountains, destroy continents and dye the ocean red with the blood of those who oppose him if it was necessary.

And while Akatsuki understood how he felt, it didn't necessarily mean he was comfortable with all his plans.

Especially since he doesn't even know what they were.

"It's mostly been quiet around here," Akatsuki commented as he stood there. "Although there seem to be some unrest among the vampires. Last night, we had an incident." He then quickly relayed what transpired, leaving out the aftermath, of course.

It took Kaname-sama forever to respond. But eventually, he stirred and quietly murmured. "That's fine."

Akatsuki was stumped. It wasn't the reply he was expecting.

Kaname-sama looked out the window at the far distant horizon. "It seems she has taken the rein effortlessly, though I doubt they would follow her as easily as they did with me. It's going to be a long road ahead for her."

Akatsuki hesitated before asking, "Would you like us to go and look after her?"

He shook his head. "No, it's fine. Hanabusa can take care of her. And where he falls short, those from her past will step in. I need you for something else."

"Are we going somewhere?"

Kaname-sama inclined his head in assent. "I need more pieces on my side of the board."

* * *

><p>Ruka emerged from her room just as he was sifting through his wardrobe for something formal to wear. She looked slightly better with a couple of hours of sleep under her belt. But her eyes were still weary and she seemed to have lost some weight in the last few days. It wasn't really that noticeable – a couple of pounds at the most – but it was nevertheless alarming. Weight loss and weight gain among vampires was almost unheard of. If he had more time, he would have forced her to eat something before he left but alas, time was not on their side.<p>

"Are we going somewhere?" Ruka asked, watching him rummaging through his closet.

Akatsuki hesitated as he held up a shirt. They looked all the same. If it wasn't for his parents and Hanabusa, Akatsuki would have been content with just a couple of changes of simple clothes. The whole point of them was to keep you covered and warm. So why this obsession with suede, leather, cotton and silk? And don't even start on the style, length and cut. It was confusing and exhausting. But Kaname-sama had specified formal and even for a fashion klutz like him, Akatsuki knew that meant his usual untucked shirt was not going to cut it.

"Oh, give me that," Ruka pushed him aside and started riffling through his wardrobe. "Where are we going?"

Deciding the less she knew, the less upset she would be, Akatsuki kept his words ambiguous. "Kaname-sama's returned and I have to accompany him on his next trip."

"Oh?" Ruka pulled out a collared shirt and held it up against him before shoving it back in the closet. "Did he say why?"

"Yeah," Akatsuki replied as he watched her work.

Ruka paused and turned around. "You're leaving without me," she said flatly with a pair of almost accusative eyes.

His silence was as damning as any spoken words.

"Was it his decision?" She demanded.

Akatsuki hesitated again.

"_Seiren will be waiting at the outskirt of town tonight for your arrival. From there, you will travel with her to the destination. I need you to be on high alert and stay away from the head of the clan. I may not always be there to protect you from their schemes."_

"_It's too dangerous for Ruka."_

_With his back turned towards him, Kaname-sama stared out at the window. "She'll stay here," he said after a long and deliberate pause. "It'll be safer."_

"_Good," Akatsuki nodded slowly, partly satisfied with the arrangement. "Otherwise, I won't be able to forgive you."_

_Kaname turned around and smiled at him over his shoulder. It was a sad smile, filled with wisdom. "That's the second time you made that remark," he commented._

_Akatsuki shrugged. "You know she'll always be my top priority."_

"Here." Ruka brought him back to the present moment as she shoved a white formal shirt into his hands. "And don't leave it untucked."

With stiff shoulders, she turned away and headed for the drawers where he kept all his ties.

"Are you okay?" He asked, afraid to find out the answer.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Ruka's laugh sounded strangled. "I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere, not knowing what's going on, vampires are crawling around the place like leeches, the hunters are after us and best of all, nobody trusts me enough to tell me anything!" She slammed the drawer shut in anger.

She stood there, with bowed heads and slumped shoulders, completely and utterly defeated.

Akatsuki wanted to take her into his arms but he wasn't sure if his comfort would be welcomed. Sighing, he said the one thing he didn't want her to know. It would break his heart but if it could bring her some thread of happiness, he was okay with that. "Kaname-sama is still downstairs."

Turning around, Ruka blinked up at him in surprise. "He is?"

He nodded.

She turned around and reopened the drawer, "You better go and get changed. I'll pick out the tie."

Akatsuki blinked in surprise. "Don't you want to go and see him?"

"No," came the short terse reply. "Mother always said if you have nothing nice to say, then it's best not to say anything."

He wasn't sure it was wise to leave her alone to stew in anger, but what else could he do? He sighed as he went into the en suite and got changed.

"_You sure she will be safe here? There were vampire hunters out there looking for us."_

_Kaname-sama continued to gaze out the window. "She'll be fine."_

Just as Akatsuki was doing up the last of the buttons, he heard a muffled noise coming from his room.

_Ruka..._

She was crying softly, trying to muffle the sounds by pressing a fist against her mouth.

"Ruka," he murmured quietly, giving into temptation and brushing a hand down her hair.

Whirling around, she clutched at his shirt and sobbed. "I hate him. I hate him. I hate him."

Akatsuki sighed as he gathered her close. "Ruka, don't be silly, you don't hate him."

"I wish I did," she mumbled into his shirt.

"No you don't," he chided her gently. "You just feel frustrated at the situation. It's perfectly normal."

He held her there and just let her tears wash away the pain that was inside of her. Inside of them both. After awhile, harsh sobs dried down into small sniffles. Her hands loosened their hold on his shirt and eventually, she took a step back, composed once more.

"I haven't changed, have I?" It was a statement, not a question so he didn't say a word.

She frowned at his shirt. "You'll need to change again. I'll get you another shirt."

The second time around, he got dressed without a problem. Ruka even picked out a set of cufflinks for him, a black blazer to go on top and a tie. He fumbled around with it for awhile before Ruka gave up, snatched it out of his hands and did it for him.

As she did up his tie, he gazed down at her. "Promise me you'll be careful."

Ruka sniffed delicately. "You're the one who needs to be careful." She finished with his tie. It felt like a noose tightening around his neck.

"No, I'm serious," Akatsuki said urgently as he grabbed her hands. "Try not to go out at all. Whatever you need, you can get from room service. Just stay safe until I get back." The orders came firing out like bullets from a gun.

"Akatsuki," she asked, her brows creased together in confusion. "Are you okay?"

He stared down at her. The thought of her going out sent shivers down his spine. If only he had a few more days. He could escort her back to their families. Or he could clear the town of rogue vampires. Or he could lure the hunters out of the town on a wild goose chase. If he had a few more days, he would make good use of them.

But time was not something he had. Kaname-sama was downstairs, waiting.

Akatsuki hesitated and then decided to not over-think the issue. He leaned in and quickly kissed her cheek. Her skin was soft like rose petals – he stopped his thoughts there. It wouldn't be wise to distract himself considering the troubles that were looming in the distant horizon. He couldn't even bear to turn his head and look at her one last time. It would hurt too much.

So it was goodbye, for now.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I'm happy with my decision to split chapter 5. If I had added this section onto the tail of chapter 5, it would detract from the development of their relationship and the whole plot would seem rushed. And "Cementing This Moment" is an eloquent phrase for that moment in the hallway, as the next couple of chapters will show. ^_~

Thanks for all the comments and reviews. They really do help me write and gives me an indication of my strengths and weaknesses. :) If you have any thoughts on this story, please let me know.

Witless Fool


	7. Chapter 7: An Unexpected Intruder

**Chapter Seven: An Unexpected Intruder**

She knew it was going to happen sooner or later. Didn't she fret about this just yesterday? But now that it has indeed happened, she was surprisingly calm about the whole situation.

For the first time for as long as she could remember, she was well and truly alone.

There were no parents or well-meaning relatives checking up on her. Hanabusa wasn't around to annoy her with his idiocy. There was no cheery Takuma-sama with his ever present cup of rose tea. Shiki and Rima weren't around the corner, napping or sharing a box of pocky. And most importantly, Kaname-sama wasn't around to guide her.

Yet strangely, above them all, she found Akatsuki's absence to be the most discomforting.

In a way, it was expected. After all, Akatsuki had been there for all of the important moments in her life. He and Hanabusa had polished off the first cake she baked successfully. He was there to guide her through her first dance lesson. He stayed awake with her during their first sleep-over because Hanabusa had freaked her out with a scary bedtime story. He waltzed with her in the first ball they attended. There were so many moments, she wasn't sure she could list them all.

And now that he was gone, Ruka kept expecting him to pop up beside her shoulder. He had always been there. Why should this moment be any different?

But when the door closed behind him, and the seconds merged into minutes and minutes into hours, she realized she was indeed alone.

She fell back onto his bed and dozed off into a fitful sleep. Wrapped in his familiar scent, happy memories of their childhood came flooding back. She had never pegged herself to be the wistful type. Ever since she was small, she realized that persistence and determination was key to getting what she wanted. There was no use in thinking about the past and all the what-could-have-beens. The only thing that mattered was the present moment and what she could do in the future. Yet, now that she was by herself, all she could think about was the simpler times back then where the three of them together, forever and always. With that thought swirling in her mind, she gave into the oblivion.

When she came to, the sun had set, rose and set again. She wearily sat up and for a few moments, just stared around at her surroundings in silence. What was she even doing there? In this room, in this town, what could she possibly do? She was noble-born. A vampire. With abilities and grace humans couldn't even begin to imagine. Yet, here she was, sitting around like a helpless woman by the side, waiting for her man. The fact that she didn't have a man to wait for only made her even more pathetic.

Damnit, now was not the time to feel sorry for herself.

She forced herself to crawl out of bed. She knew she needed to keep herself occupied. That was the only way she could stop herself from dwelling on her present situation. Maybe she could go out and entertain herself with the night scene –

_Try not to go out at all. Just stay safe until I get back._

Like an ominous warning, Akatsuki's final words to her flashed across her mind. Ruka couldn't quite shake off the uneasy feeling inside her when she thought back to what happened two nights ago. Something was definitely going on out there. She wasn't stupid. The rogue vampire they stumbled across definitely wasn't the only one out there hunting that night. And with the sudden increase in humans, this town was a breeding ground for trouble.

Plus, the emergence of vampire hunters was also a bad sign. Ruka knew that this town does not have an active branch of the Vampire Hunter Association. Yet, despite that, messages from the top have apparently trickled down to the hunters here, asking them to be on the lookout for Kaname-sama's right-hand man – namely, Akatsuki Kain.

As much as Ruka hated following orders, she had to admit that Akatsuki's advice about staying indoors was probably a good one.

Sighing, Ruka went out into the living room, looking for things to do.

So for the next few days, she did everything she possibly could think of while being cooped up in a hotel suite. She rearranged her wardrobe, tidied up the apartment, rearranged _his_ wardrobe (which was in a sad state-of-affairs), cooked when she was bored, read some books, did some embroidery and watched the days fly by outside the windows. Her attempts at blocking out her thoughts succeeded most of the time.

Until, inevitably, she ran out of ingredients in the kitchen. Having already done enough readings and embroidery to drive any other person insane, Ruka paced around the living room in agitation. All the thoughts that she didn't want to think about came flooding back. The world was slowly rolling into chaos and she wasn't sure if anyone could stop it. Kaname-sama was out there doing things according to his agenda and she... Ruka clenched her hands into fists ... she wasn't part of the plans.

_Did she want to be?_

Frowning, Ruka thought about it. She didn't. After the Cross Academy, she came to the realization that Kaname-sama was never truly hers to protect and guard. She was merely a delusional young girl, dancing to the tune of her own feelings. Perhaps, even back then, had she opened her eyes, she would have seen what everybody else was seeing – what eventually came into being. The hints were right there from the start.

In Kaname-sama's eyes, there was only Yuuki Kuran.

Yet inside her, there was still a small part of her that was hurting. And she couldn't get it to stop.

_Akatasuki..._

At the thought of his name, Ruka's cheeks warmed at the memories. They have been together for as long as she could remember. He was there, right from the start. Like an older brother, he looked out for her and Hanabusa, made sure they never got into trouble. Then, when they attended Cross Academy, he retained his job as guardian and indirectly ended up with a ridiculous nickname. Once they left the Academy and went their separate ways, with Hanabusa teaching Yuuki-sama, he stayed by her side. Then that kiss happened. Over all these years, what exactly was Akatsuki to her?

Was he her brother? Her guardian? Her companion? Her ... lover?

_No! _Shaking the thoughts free out of her head, Ruka knew she had to get out of there. Hastily, she grabbed her jacket and exited the suite. Akatsuki wasn't here anymore. There was no use in dwelling in the past. She needed to go out there and occupy her mind.

Escaping outside, Ruka breathed in her first breath of fresh air. Just how many days had she stayed indoors? She couldn't remember. When one was stuck in solitary confinement, time no longer held any meaning. But now that she was out, she was free to do what she wanted.

It was still early evening. The sun had set perhaps an hour, two hours, ago. There were still plenty of humans milling around outside, which for Ruka, meant one thing – the shops were still open. First thing first, she needed to restock her kitchen. With that goal in mind, Ruka set off for the grocery store.

Twenty minutes later, she emerged with three bags of groceries in hand. The cashier boy inside had offered to carry them for her but she brushed him off. Humans. They had absolutely no idea who they were dealing with.

Humming a tune, Ruka began the walk back to the hotel. It was only nine o'clock yet the streets were strangely deserted. What was going on?

Suddenly, a subtle scent drifted across the still air.

_Blood._

It wasn't her problem, Ruka knew. And didn't Akatsuki warn her to stay inside until he gets back? _But... _Cursing herself, Ruka dumped her groceries where they were and ran towards the scent of the blood. She may still be a slave to her own feelings, but this ... she knew this was wrong and she had to stop it. Even if Kaname-sama did not want her to follow him, this, at least, was something she knew how to do.

The scene eventually led her to an abandoned building. _How stereotypical_, she sneered as she walked down the stairs into the basement. Masking herself, Ruka walked in, and what she saw shocked her to the core.

Inside the dimly lit room, there were at least twenty, maybe twenty-five vampires. In front of them, on a stage, was the ring leader. There was a human girl lying by his side. She was still breathing, Ruka could tell. But other than that, she gave no sign of life. Her skin was pale. Her open eyes were glassy. And she was as still as a corpse. Next to the stage, lined up against the wall, were five other girls all in a similar state.

"So, let's start the bidding, shall we?" The vampire on stage smiled as he gazed around the room. "Twenty to start with. Do I have any takers?"

"Twenty," a hand shot into the air.

"Twenty over here," the auctioneer said, scanning the crowd for more bidders. "Can I get a twenty-five?"

"Twenty-five."

"Thirty."

The bids went higher and higher. Ruka saw enough. They were all ex-human vampires, though none of them were Level Es. There was a leadership vacuum at the moment. Without neither the council nor Kaname-sama holding the rein, these vampires thought they could do whatever they wanted. Ruka ran through her options before deciding on the best course of action. She focused her gaze on the lights dangling down from the ceiling and turned them off.

The room was instantaneously enveloped in darkness.

"Wait, what's going on?" One shouted. Despite their heightened senses, none of them could see a thing. Ruka made sure of it.

"Hunters! They've found us." Another yelled over the din. The vampires were now scrambling over one another, trying to reach the door.

Standing out of the way, Ruka turned to look at the door. It opened, revealing to the vampires a score of vampire hunters, all armed to kill. The hunters quickly dived into the fray and merged with the gathering of vampires.

It was a simple illusion, really. But sometimes, simplicity was key to success. The darkness, the hunters, the ensuing panic was all figments of the vampires' imagination. Their fear fed the illusion, making it more and more powerful. Their own thoughts gave birth to things that weren't there. Suddenly, they were seeing their enemies' faces among themselves. With strangled screams and desperate pleas, the vampires attacked each other.

The whole thing took about five minutes, maybe ten. But eventually, with one last gurgled cough, the room fell silent. Turning the lights back on, Ruka saw that all there were left in the room were the six human victims and piles of ashes.

Striding over to the stage, Ruka checked on each of the victims. They all seemed okay, just lost in a trance. Once the hunters discover this place, they will be able to take care of them. But there was one more thing she could do. Putting a hand on their foreheads, Ruka skimmed their minds and erased all memories involving vampires.

There. All was right again. For now...

Straightening, Ruka left the room, leaving the door open for the hunters that would surely come.

"Great," she muttered as she climbed up the stairs. "Now I need to go and buy some more groceries."

* * *

><p>"You sure it was them?" The young man asked as he strode down the deserted street.<p>

"Absolutely," his companion answered. "They matched the descriptions the association gave to the T."

"Have there been more sightings of them since that night?"

"No. But they are most definitely close-by."

"Oh?" One straight eyebrow was raised in curiosity.

"Things have been ... peculiar lately."

"Is that so? Let me take a look."

* * *

><p>Illusions were more than just tricking the enemies' minds. It wasn't the same as mind control. She couldn't simply take control of individuals and make them kill each other. Nevertheless, when done correctly, illusions were a powerful weapon. It was all about subtlety and finesse. Plus a good healthy dose of imagination. Make the enemy doubt their surroundings. Make them fear for the unknown. And once their focus was shaken, she would go in for the kill.<p>

Ruka caught the sight of her target and silently, followed him down the deserted alleyway. The vampire had a human victim slung over his shoulder. Whistling a tune, the carefree predator was completely unaware of his trail. Reaching his destination, the vampire set his victim down on the floor as he fished for his keys in his pockets.

Ruka's hazel eyes turned a dusky rose as she concentrated on her target.

The predator was about to become the prey.

Heavy mists descended into the alleyway. The thick fog enveloped the surroundings, making it difficult to see. Before the vampire could gasp out in surprise, Ruka choked off his air supply. For a couple of moments, Ruka watched him desperately claw at his own throat. He deserved it, she thought without sympathy. Eventually, his own hands raked across his throat, severing his carotid arteries and he bled out – disintegrating into a pile of ash.

All of this happened silently without a few short minutes. Such was the power of the mind.

"Humans," Ruka sighed as she bent down to lay a hand on the human girl's forehead. Lured in by a charming face and a pretty smile – these human girls were so weak and pathetic. She erased memories about the vampire from the girl's mind and gave her a quick check over. Thankfully, the girl was not physically hurt.

Finishing her job for the night, Ruka stood up and dusted herself off. Having done her kill, she was finished for the night. She knew her infrequent kills weren't enough to keep the town safe from the vampires who went rogue. But then again, that wasn't her job. The vampire hunters out there could take care of the chaos that was the night scene. Her decision to wade into this whole mess was purely selfish. While she was on the hunt, she could block out her thoughts. While she was wandering alone outside, she could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins. While she was killing vampires, she felt alive.

It was probably sad bordering on psychotic, but after the first couple of kills, she realized she felt good. In fact, she felt better than she had for quite awhile. _Almost as good as when she was kissing... _Ruka quickly shook that thought out of her mind. Now that he was gone, if she had to get her thrills from killing, then so be it.

It was all about lowering those expectations.

Suddenly, Ruka heard footsteps running down the alleyway. They were discreet and quiet but her heightened senses picked them up. Two – no, three – hunters were on their way to the scene. Not wanting another ugly confrontation with them, Ruka quickly stepped back into the shadow and masked her presence.

"Damn, missed them again," one of the hunters cursed as he burst onto the scene. He kicked at the ash on the floor and reluctantly stowed away his gun. Looking at him, she realized he was the hunter Akatsuki and her stumbled across the very first time.

"They are good," one of his companions commented as he knelt down to check on the human girl. "All this week and we haven't caught them once."

"They can't be far. I feel like we're getting closer and closer each time."

Having heard enough, Ruka turned and quietly left the scene. It was unwise for her to linger about. She darted away, circling around for a couple of times to make sure she had no one following her before making her way back to the hotel. The whole trip, from leaving the hotel suite to the kill and back to the suite again, took roughly two hours.

With a sigh of relief, Ruka entered the hotel suite and closed the door behind her. See? She could take care of herself. She shook off her jacket and turned to hang it behind the door. A tingling sensation ran down the back of her spine. Something was not right here. There was someone else in the room. Swirling around, Ruka found herself facing an unexpected intruder.

"Zero," she breathed out his name.

With ash-white hair, a stern unwavering gaze and a perpetual frown around his lips, the vampire hunter looked the same as he did back at the academy. Yet there was something different about him. At first, Ruka couldn't figure out why but she then took a closer look. His eyes were colder, his lips stiffer and he seemed to have mentally aged, as if he was forced to grow up way before he was ready.

He had a gun trained firmly on her throat. The Bloody Rose – Ruka thought as she stared down at it. The last time he had aimed it at her, it was back at the Academy. She was mad at the fact Kaname-sama was interested in him and Zero was just mad at vampires in general. Even under those tumultuous circumstances, she knew he wouldn't have actually shot her.

"Don't move," he said quietly, his tone gave no room for arguments or negotiations.

This time, she wasn't so sure.

"You move, I shoot. You shift, I shoot. You create an illusion, and I will shoot." He cocked his gun for emphasis.

With her back against the door, Ruka knew there was no way she would be able to escape. The adrenaline was slowly leaving her internal system, leaving behind a sense of profound exhaustion. Even if she was to create an illusion, she doubted she would have been able to hold it for long enough. Slowly, she nodded her head to indicate she understood.

Keeping the gun trained on her, Zero stepped forward and quickly cuffed her hands together with his spare hand. The chains closed around her wrists with an ominous clang. Straightaway, she felt a threatening crackle of energy emitting from the handcuffs. It took her a second to realize she no longer had access to her powers. And its absence left her feeling bereft and exposed. Now that she was unarmed, Zero slowly lowered her gun.

"Now," he took a step back though his gaze was still firmly fixed on her. "Where is Kuran?"

She tilted her head and raised on eyebrow. "Which one?"

His shoulder jerked slightly with irritation. "You know which one I mean."

"Sorry," she continued smoothly. She wasn't about to make this easier for him. "I really don't."

"You don't?" Zero fingered his gun thoughtfully. "I guess you don't know what's going on, do you?"

Without meaning to, Ruka tensed up her shoulders. Realizing what she was doing, she forced herself to relax. But she knew that she had been spotted.

"What?" He tilted his head as his stony eyes continued to drill holes into her. "Rich little noble girl doesn't like it when nobody tells her what's going on?"

"Your point?" She spitted out through gritted teeth.

"I know where Yuuki Kuran is," Zero stated. "Kaname Kuran is another matter. We cannot stand by and let him do whatever he chooses. The agreement –"

"To the best of my knowledge," Ruka interrupted him. "The agreement has not yet been broken, has it?"

"No," Zero tightened his jaw. "But there have been an alarmingly large number of vampires who have gone rogue."

"They're your responsibility," Ruka pointed out. "Our part of the bargain was merely to ensure that all humans who have been turned by the purebloods had expressed informed consent before being changed into vampires. In addition, we've given the Vampire Hunter Association the control you wanted to hunt down those caught feeding on humans."

Zero nodded, conceding her point. "However, there have been some unusual activities going on lately."

"Such as?"

Zero evaded the question. "Where's Kain?"

"He's out."

"By himself?" Zero raised an eyebrow. "Funny, he didn't strike me as the sort of guy who would just suddenly leave you behind."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ruka demanded.

Ignoring her question yet again, Zero's eyes narrowed in speculation. "Unless," he mused. "He was told to. Let me guess, he left with Kuran?"

Ruka hesitated – and that was all the confirmation Zero needed.

"I see," he murmured. "That makes a lot of sense. Kain is very dependable but also predictable."

"Now that you've found out what you need to, can you let me go?" Ruka raised her handcuffed hands.

"No. I'm taking you in for further questioning." Zero said, yanking on her links and tugging her behind him. "But first, we need to leave a calling card."

It was as quick as lightening. Ruka saw it coming but there was nothing she could do to stop it. Zero drew out a small dagger and neatly sliced her left wrist, severing both her radial and ulnar arteries. Her blood began to spurt out from her wrist in rhythm with her heartbeat. In the blink of an eye, there was a large pool of her blood dripping down her arm and onto the white carpet they were standing on.

It was almost as if she was emotionally detached from her body. Ruka just stood there calmly as she watched her blood pool up on the floor. Predictably, her body quickly kicked in its defence mechanism and the blood flow slowed and finally stopped. Within a few minutes, her skin fused over the cut and save for the dried blood stain on her hand, there was no trace of evidence on her that suggested she had been cut.

"That was incredibly stupid," she told Zero in a monotone. "How are you going to explain this to the hotel cleaning staff?"

Zero shrugged. "How did you think we found you? The cleaning crew won't bat an eyelid at this."

"No amount of cleaning is going to erase the smell of my blood from this room."

Zero's smile was quick and wolfish. "Oh, that's what we expected."

This was the calling card he was talking about, Ruka realized with a start. When Akatsuki comes back, her absence will certainly cause alarm. But this was the calling card to ensure that he knew she was captured by a vampire hunter. No doubt Akatsuki would eventually come and find her at the association headquarters.

_This was what Zero had intended all along._

"Come on," Zero tugged on her cuffed hands, dragging her out of the room.

_I'm sorry, Akatsuki_, Ruka thought with a pang in her heart. _I guess I couldn't stay safe until you come back._

_I hope you are doing better than I am._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> In an attempt to get everything out in time, there are bits of this chapter I rushed and I'm sorry for that. If there are any typos or errors, I'll come back another day and correct them. Ah well, this chapter is out and Ruka will just have to wait another chapter before tormenting me. :)

Thanks for all the support you guys have given me. It's really helpful to find out where I'm going right and where I'm going wrong. So please let me know what you think ^_^

Witless Fool

P.S. I apologize if anybody thinks my interpretation of Ruka's powers is a bit unbelievable. The fanbook stated that she manipulates enemies through illusions (not mind control) and I've given my best shot at expounding on it.


	8. Chapter 8: Their Honour, Their Curse

**Chapter Eight: Their Honour, Their Curse**

"Sir, here are the documents you needed."

"Thank you," Akastuki murmured as he accepted the thick stack of paper from the portly businessman. Never one for formalities, he fought the urge to tug at his collar and loosen the tie around his neck. But here, in the real estate agency of a wealthy sea-side town, appearances were everything. Dressed to the nines, the real estate agents didn't bat an eyelid when he demanded to see every property over 600 acres within sixty miles from the town. They simply assumed he was a rich millionaire with money to blow who were interested in investing in some lucrative properties. As much as he hated wearing formal clothes, under such circumstances, he had to admit they certainly helped smooth the path to get him what he needed.

Sitting down in a leather armchair, he quickly flipped through the files. The first couple of properties they provided him with were all sprawling properties with luxurious mansions and well-kept gardens. They were too new, too well-kept and stood out way too much. Discarding them, Akatsuki quickly went into the back of the stack and found things that were far more appropriate. They were remote, inhabitable, and nothing more than uncivilized wilderness that the human government have sectioned off for development. To the humans, these sites appeared harmless but Akatsuki knew that each property contained the possibility of something dangerous.

These were, after all, the perfect hideaways for purebloods.

"Not interested in the ocean-front properties, I see," the businessman commented as he settled himself down next to Akatsuki.

Akatsuki inclined his head in agreement. "I enjoy my privacy."

"Well, you're not the only one," the agent said as he took the files that Akatsuki discarded and straightened them into a neat pile."

"Oh?" Akatsuki raised an eyebrow, his body tensed up with awareness.

"Yeah." Oblivious to his prospective client's, the agent happily chatted along. "Another gentleman came in several days ago and was interested in all the remote properties too. He was just like you – young and handsome."

"Hmmm."

"Yup. Sent all our secretaries into a frenzy with his blonde hair and green eyes. Women," he chuckled, shaking his head at their folly. Glancing sideways at Akatsuki, he gave him a conspiratorial wink. "Not that you would have any problem with the ladies. Some of them really dig the whole wild look."

_Wild..._ Akatsuki mentally sighed. It was a word that he managed to avoid for the first thirteen years of his life. Yet the moment he entered Cross Academy with his cousins, the word had followed him wherever he went.

Brushing those thoughts aside, Akatsuki scanned the files scattered in front of him. There were at least a dozen properties that were still open for consideration. Going through all of them personally would take too much time, which was something he did not have.

Casually, Akatsuki turned to the agent and asked. "Was that young gentleman interested in any of these properties in particular?"

The agent blinked in surprise but he quickly recovered. Akatsuki could see his beady eyes narrowing with speculation. If he could get two prospective buyers interested in the same property, maybe he could start a price war.

"Well, he was interested in these," the man pointed to five properties – all of which were dense forest land located quite far from the town. "All of which have excellent potential as a private retreat or if you are more business-inclined, you could always open a holiday resort. This one," he tapped a finger against one picture. "Is particularly close to the legendary waterfall."

That pricked Akatsuki's interest.

He stared down at the picture. It was a spectacular waterfall indeed.

"_Hey Akatsuki, if you were able to live anywhere, where would you go?" Ruka had once asked him, back when they were still children. After a hard lesson with their history teacher, the three of them had celebrated their short well-earned break by lounging on one of the third-storey balconies of the Aidou residence. _

_Akatsuki glanced up into the sky and said the first thing that came into his head. "The moon?"_

_Hanabusa had given him a look he usually reserved for idiots._

"_Silly Tsuki," Ruka had giggled with the freedom that only came with youth. A gentle wind blew past, ruffling through her chin-length caramel-coloured hair. "Why would you want to live there?"_

"_It's peaceful," he decided. "It would be nice."_

"_Aren't you at peace now?" Ruka asked, tilting her head up to look at him._

"_Dumb Ruka," Hanabusa interrupted. "And Akatsuki, the moon? Be serious."_

_Akatsuki had hesitated, unsure how to answer the question. "Somewhere quiet. And remote. Where I can be myself. Has to be close to the river. A waterfall would be nice. Wherever it is, it has to be peaceful. That's the most important thing."_

_Hanabusa snorted. "In that case, you might as well ask for the moon."_

"_Shut up, stupid Busa," Ruka leapt to Akatsuki's defense. "I think somewhere peaceful and quiet would be nice too."_

"Sir?" A voice brought him back to the present.

Shaking his head free from the past, Akatsuki turned his attention back to the paper that lay innocently on the desk in front of him. It sounded promising. He picked it up and stood up from the chair.

"I'm going to go and take a look at it," he told the agent politely.

"Ah, o-of course," the man also hastily stood up. "Uhm, the other young gentleman also expressed an interest in that property so –"

"That shouldn't be a problem." Akastuki interrupted him, quietly but firmly. "Thank you for your time. I'll be in touch." Tucking the paper inside his blazer, he strode out of the real estate office without a backward glance.

As he walked down the walkpath, he couldn't quite shake off the poignant feeling. It was a trivial memory, bizarrely triggered by a simple snapshot of a waterfall.

_Aren't you at peace now?_

Was he? Back then? What about now?

Unable to answer any of those questions, Akatsuki focused on the task at hand and disappeared into the sea of humans.

* * *

><p>"You think it's this one?"<p>

"I'm positive. Takuma-sama apparently also experienced interest and went there a couple of days ago for an inspection."

"Thank you."

He hesitated before asking. "Should we go too?"

There was a long pause. Then, languidly, a hand slowly reached forward to pick up the black castle and shift it forward three spaces on the chess board.

"Patience is a virtue. Especially in a game of chess. Always wait for the opponent to make their move before you strike."

"So we wait?"

"We wait."

* * *

><p>"We're here," Seiren quietly said. She had a pale complexion like most vampires and a relatively short stature. With a short mop of pale violet hair that reached her pointed chin, Kaname-sama's body guard appeared very unassuming with her pixie-like appearance. But one only needs to look into her dusky violet eyes to feel her unnatural strengths.<p>

In response to her comment, the first one she's made since they've began this journey, Akatsuki nodded in agreement. They were standing on the edge of a waterfall. Raging water flowing rapidly down the river burst free at the edge of the cliff before tumbling down, unfettered, into the pool of water below.

The Thousand Miles Fall.

Akatsuki could see how this would be a perfect hideout. It had taken them nearly three days from the nearest town to travel to this place. Dense forest surrounded them, stretching out all around them for as far as the eyes could see. And if that didn't make it difficult enough, there was the waterfall itself to contend with.

Next to him, Seiren was quietly disarming herself. She shrugged off her trench coat and dropped it onto the ground, the rattling sounds of the hidden weapons inside were muffled by the coat itself. She withdrew three daggers from her right sleeve, a dart gun from her left, and a whip coiled around her right leg. Akatsuki knew about her prowess with weapons but even he was shocked by just how heavily armed she was.

With a few deft moves, Seiren bundled up all her things into the coat and then, without hesitation, threw the package over the cliff.

"See you down there." With those final words, Seiren leapt down the cliff with the agility of a mountain goat. Akatsuki watched her pale violet hair bob further and further down the cliff before finally disappearing from view.

Sighing, he took another look over the ledge. Well, there was only one way and it was down. Taking a few steps back, Akatsuki approached the edge of the cliff at a run. With one powerful leap, he catapulted himself into the air, did a forward flip, before straightening out like a pin and letting himself fall.

For a few seconds, at least, he felt like he was flying. Cold air rushed past him. Water droplets from the cascading waterfall rained down on him from behind. As the water below came rushing towards him, he kept his arms to his sides and took a deep breath.

With the thundering wall of water as a backdrop, his gentle splash into the deep pool below was barely audible.

The water was cool and clear. Akatsuki sank further down, revelling in the momentary sense of clarity that the water brought him. Though visibility was dim, he opened his amber eyes and for a brief moment, he thought he saw something. A long strand of rope? He blinked, and it was gone. But then, he thought he heard something. A child's candid laughter, perhaps?

It was a memory, he realized, from a long time ago.

"_Oh come on, it'll be fun!" A voice from the past echoed in his ears. It didn't take a genius to figure out who said it. For as long as Akatsuki could remember, Hanabusa Aidou was the master of all the ideas in their group. Of course, despite his cousin's high IQ, most of his ideas weren't terribly well thought out._

"_You sure it's safe?" The sweet voice of a young girl asked. Ruka... Akatuski thought with a smile. _

_Closing his eyes, he could picture it. It was a play date at Ruka's house (though mansion would be a more eloquent word for her home). On a moon-lit night, much like this one, the three of them, at Hanabusa's insistence, made the trek down to the river that ran through the Souen property. Her older brothers have tied a long rope to an overhanging branch of an old oak tree and would often spend their free time swinging off it into the river below. The three of them had never done it before, but on that night, Hanabusa wanted to try._

"_Stop worrying," Hanabusa waved her concerns away. "Your brothers have done it plenty of times before."_

"_But they never let me try," Ruka frowned._

"_That's cause you are a girl," Hanabusa sneered. "Why don't you go back to the house and play with your dolls?"_

"_Guys." Forever playing the peace-keeper, Akatsuki stepped in between the pair and placed a restraining hand on each of his cousins. "Maybe we should have a look down there first before leaping in. Just to test out the waters. See how deep it is."_

"_You worry too much, Akatsuki," Hanabusa swatted his hand away. "I have a much better idea. Here." He took a step forward and roughly shoved Ruka over the ledge. _

_It happened way too quickly for Akatsuki to react. Helplessly, he watched Ruka's centre of gravity shift. She waved her arms around, trying to balance herself but it was useless. With a shriek of fright, she grabbed onto the rope and swung off, before dropping into the river with a huge splash. _

"_Is she okay?" Hanabusa wondered out loud as he stared over the ledge at the pool of bubble over where Ruka had entered the water. _

"_If she gets hurt, then," Hanabusa thought about it for a second before shrugging carelessly. "Oh well." He chortled at the thought. "One less girl to annoy us for a few days, right Akatsuki?" _

_He glanced up at his taller cousin, only just realizing he had gone completely silent._

"_Akatsuki?"_

_Without warning, the tall redhead grabbed Hanabusa by the throat and lifted him up onto his toes. "We do not push girls." He growled angrily, his amber eyes flashing red with anger. "Especially not Ruka."_

"_She's just a stupid girl." Hanabusa tried to defend himself._

"_Especially not Ruka," Akatsuki repeated, shaking Hanabusa to knock that fact into his thick skull. "If anything happens to her –"_

_He broke off when he heard laughter coming from behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Ruka splashing around in the water with pure joy on her face. The terror that had seized his heart slowly loosened its icy hold. Suddenly, Akatsuki discovered he was able to breathe normally again. _

"_That was so fun!" Still laughing, she gasped for breath as she waved up at the two of them. "Come on, you guys!"_

Running low on air, Akatsuki kicked up towards the surface.

"_Come on, Akatsuki," her voice followed him. "The water's great!"_

Popping his head above the water, Akatsuki gasped for air. Lightly treading water, he shook his head, dislodging wet strands of hair away from his eyes. Spotting Seiren waiting by the river bank, Akatsuki started swimming over to where she stood.

"You look terrible," was Seiren's only deadpanned remark.

Akatsuki shrugged as he climbed ashore. "It's just a little bit of water. I'll dry."

"Let's go." Turning sharply around, Seiren started walking into the forest. Always so goal-oriented, she didn't even bother checking to see if Akatsuki was following.

After a quick fifteen minute trek through the forest, they arrived at a medieval fortress. Built out of grey sandstones, the three-storey tall structure cast a dark and forbidding shadow over the surrounding forest. Yet at the same time, there was nothing flashy or ostentatious about it. The structure blended in with its surroundings. No wonder the humans had yet to discover this place.

Stepping across the threshold, Seiren and Akatsuki walked in on a scene of carnage. The heavy front doors were blown completely off their hinges. Bricks of sandstones the size of boulders littered what evidently used to be the main hallway of the mansion. Most of the furniture were smashed into pieces. Priceless paintings and sculptures were ruined beyond recognition. And everywhere they looked, there were piles of ashes.

"Did he..." Akatsuki trailed off.

Ignoring Akatsuki's half-spoken question, Seiren continued walking deeper into the fortress.

They found Kaname-sama in the formal ballroom located at the back of the mansion. This room, weirdly enough, was left largely undamaged. But the telling signs of a struggle was evident. A slanted painting by the left. An overturned chair by the right. And most importantly, the shattered glass that were scattered all across the dance floor.

"Kaname-sama," Seiren signalled their presence.

Kaname lifted his head and gave them a sad smile. "It seems we were too late. Sara is not known for her patience."

Doing a mental tally, Akatsuki realized there was ... His eyes widened slightly. What were they planning?

Next to him, Seiren didn't even bat an eyelid at the death of yet another pureblood. "Should I clean up this place, Kaname-sama?" She inquired politely.

"No need." Kaname strode past them, towards the entrance. "Let's go."

As they walked out of the ballroom, the floor beneath their feet began to shake and tremble. Alert, Akatsuki glanced over his shoulder. Fissures began to appear on the floor. The columns that held up the high ceilings began to crumble right before his eyes. He turned his gaze back to the front. He had learnt a long time ago that when following a leader, it was all about trust.

A year ago, Akatsuki would have believed that Kaname-sama would never do anything to betray their trust.

Behind them, the mansion continued to crumble.

But now, his belief was wavering. Yet he continued to walk down this path by his side. Did he still trust him?

Akatsuki hoped so.

Were they – Hanabusa, Ruka and himself – so deep that they could no longer extricate themselves?

He didn't know the answer to that.

The moment their feet crossed the threshold back out of the mansion, it collapsed into itself like a deck of cards. Clouds of dust blew out at the disturbance of their rest before settling down again. A fortress, reduced to rubble in mere seconds.

Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.

"So," Akatsuki said calmly, unable to even muster any ounce of emotion. "Where do we go next, Kaname-sama?"

He felt tired, so very tired. The games that the purebloods play when they were bored. Why must they be dragged into it every single time? But then again, as vampires of the noble class, it was their duty to serve the purebloods.

It was their honour. It was their curse.

For a few seconds, it appeared as though Kaname didn't hear him. But then, he took a deep breath and answered. "I need to check on the outcome of my previous move."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I really enjoy writing this story, there is no doubt about it. And yes, I will finish this, even if it kills me. But I guess what's bothering me now is that, looking back over what I've written, I know I've still got a long way to go before I catch up to the writers that I admire. I guess this is where doubt is starting to creep into my mind. :/

Again, thanks for all the support. Yes, this chapter doesn't have any Akatsuki and Ruka moments in it. But it is important plot-wise. And those flash-backs start giving me plot-bunnies for one-shots about the trio's childhood. Maybe I'll get to them after this story, perhaps? We'll see...

Off to write the next chapter,

Witless Fool

P.S. The moon is a perfectly legitimate place to live, according to Akatsuki in the side story of Vol 2. ^_~


	9. Chapter 9: Such Simple Creatures

**Disclaimer: **The story will now include things that have happened in Chapter 72. So if you haven't read that, then stop reading this, go read the manga, and then come back :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine: Such Simple Creatures<strong>

She was born into nobility. And though she often didn't take too much notice of it, Ruka had to admit that she was raised with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her clothes were all crafted by the best seamstresses using only the finest of materials. Her lessons were taught by the leading scholars in their respective fields. She had lived in the finest of accommodations, tasted the most exquisite of meals and travelled everywhere in a style that was befitting of her noble status.

But, never in her life, had she travelled in the back of a police van.

For one, it was small. Standing up, her head was only centimetres away from the ceiling. There were no windows on the sides. The only one window – if one could call the small opening on the door with vertical bars across it a window – only provided a view of the gravel road behind them. The other opening, also with vertical bars across it, connected the holding cell to the front of the van. Again, hardly a view to be excited about. The road was bumpy. The van was constantly lurching from side to side. The engine was making an annoying click-click-click noise.

Oh, and the company wasn't that great, either.

Sitting on one of the hard unyielding benches, Ruka pointedly ignored the vampire hunter sitting across from her. She tested the handcuffs that were still around her wrists. The power was still there, humming along ominously. Fortunately, the chains were long enough to allow her some movements. Crossing her arms across the front of her chest, she looked up at the ceiling and waited for whatever was coming next.

Fortunately for her, Zero Kiryu didn't seem to be the talkative type either.

When he loaded her onto the back of the van, he gestured at the bars across the window and warned her, "Don't even bothering trying to escape. If you shake those bars hard enough, you'll get an electric shock. Your cousin found that out the hard way."

_Hanabusa..._

Ah, that's right. Seiren mentioned that the Vampire Hunter Association had taken Hanabusa into custody for questioning. She was given the task of delivering a message to the association from Kaname-sama. And that was all Ruka knew. She wasn't told the details. The last time she heard her cousin's voice, it was a strangled scream full of pain and anguish.

Unconsciously, she clenched her hands.

The van continued to sway from side to side. Trying to block those painful thoughts out of her mind, Ruka stared down at her shoes. Her hair fell forward and shielded her eyes from the views of her surroundings. All she could see was her red stiletto heels resting on the white floor of the van. And she was content with that.

Suddenly, the van hit a bump on the road, forcing it to lurch heavily towards the right.

Thrown forward, Ruka barely had time to uncross her arms and reach forward to stabilize herself. Quick as lightning, a hand shot out and grabbed her by the shoulder, pushing her firmly back in her seat.

"Thanks," she muttered to Zero.

The vampire hunter shrugged indifferently. "Don't mention it."

For the first time since she got into the van, Ruka looked across at Zero. There was no doubt about it. He has most definitely changed in the past year. Yet some things still remained the same. His nonchalant posture. His shaggy white hair. And those judging eyes.

He was staring at her and it was disconcerting.

Unable to help it, Ruka stiffened her shoulders. "What?"

His gaze did not waver. "You vampires are such simple creatures."

"Excuse me?" She was determined to remain unaffected but nevertheless, her voice came out low and icy.

It took him an eternity to answer. "All societies need a structure in order to function. There needs to be rules and regulations in place to maintain peace. Equality. Freedom. Basic rights. True, there needs to be some order to prevent anarchy. But there also needs to be some degree of freedom, giving individuals control over their own lives. That's why totalitarianism always ends up failing."

Ruka blinked, unsure how to respond.

Zero's lips stretched into a humourless smile. "Yet you vampires seem to be quite happy handing over your freewill to your so-called 'lords.' You are content being at their beck and calls. You seem oblivious to the fact that they have their own agendas – no, you are _delighted_ to be able to carry out their agendas. You are beyond yourselves with joy because your 'lords' plays with you like puppets on a string. You don't even blink an eye when they do something unforgivable. You brush it off, determined you were imagining things and convince yourselves you must still be loyal to them."

Ruka's entire body was trembling with rage. And icy cold fear – because there was a part of her, a very small part she didn't want to admit, that knew what he said made sense. But Zero was wrong. They weren't puppets. They were loyal. There was a stark difference.

"You don't believe me," Zero nodded slowly. "Then explain this to me, why did Kaname-sama kill your uncle?"

She broke. Snarling furiously, she lunged forward. It was a stupid move, she knew it. But in that moment, all she could see was red.

Quick as lightning, Zero reached out, grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back firmly in her seat. He wasn't violent but neither was he gentle. She struggled against his hold, the van lurched dangerously from side to side but no matter how hard she tried to fight back, she couldn't. After a few moments, she gave up. What was the point anyway?

"What's going on back there?" The driver demanded as he struggled to get the van under control.

"Nothing." Zero let her go and sat back. There was a small smile playing around the edges of his lips. "Even now," he mused. "You vampires still defend your pureblood lords with your dying breath. Nagamichi Aidou may have only been your uncle, but he was Aidou-kun's father and despite his murder, Aidou-kun is determined to remain loyal to Kaname. Tell me, what does Kaname have to do to earn your animosity?"

_Hanabusa._

That nearly set Ruka off again. But she knew anything she tried to do would be futile. She kept her eyes fixed on one corner of the van and tried to keep all her emotions in control.

"It's okay if you don't answer," Zero looked out the front opening to the road ahead. "We're almost there."

* * *

><p>As a child, she was told of this place. It was one of the first things that their history teacher had taught them. It was a tale as old as time itself. The origin of vampires. The formation of massive vampire armies. The creation of anti-vampire weapons. The rising of vampire hunters.<p>

And from that moment forward, vampires were no longer invincible.

Over the course of ten thousand years, their ancestors were all but wiped out. The number of pureblood vampire clans dwindled down to a measly seven – no, six. The last "Kuran" king relinquished his control over the vampire race and handed it over to the former vampire council. And through all that turmoil and unrest, the humans remained oblivious to the fact that creatures of the night lived among them.

Ignorance was truly bliss.

As they climbed out of the van, Ruka wanted to be brave and nonchalant, just to show Zero that she wasn't afraid of anything he was going to throw at her. But despite her determination, she visibly hesitated at the threshold.

The whole building, an ancient gothic styled cathedral, was illuminated with the aura of "the woman." Like the ocean waves, it came in ebbs and flows even during the troughs, the underlying strength was unmistakable. The aura had the comforting touch of a woman but the threatening growl of a predator. It was nerve-wracking and confusing.

"Come on," Zero gave her a gentle nudge in the small of her back. "The handcuffs will keep you safe."

Forcing herself to ignore it, Ruka took a step into the cavernous hallway. It was lined up on both sides by arching columns made of grey sandstones. It was obviously the central hub of the association. There were streams of hunters going in every which direction. Some were carrying thick piles of paperwork. Others were chatting in muted voices among themselves. Others were checking out the rosters on the walls. Most stopped and stared as Zero and Ruka walked in.

But their stares and whispers were the last thing on Ruka's mind. Straightaway, she was assaulted with the growls and rumbles of the anti-vampire weapons. She thought the ominous hum of her handcuffs was bad but this... this was on a completely different level. Each weapon – be it a sword, a trident, gun, whip, or mace – was like an individual beast chafing at the bit with impatience. They wanted blood – vampire blood to be exact. They were so dark

"Hey Zero," a tall brunette strode over. Thick, long strands of unruly hair framed his face, obscuring his pale green eyes. "Where the hell have you been? You haven't showed up to school for four days now! I had to step in and keep things under control."

"Sorry, Kaito," Zero didn't sound the least apologetic. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," the hunter rolled his eyes. "I thought the school girls had it bad for me when I first came to the school. But man, they went absolutely insane for the night class students. Keeping those girls in line every single night was not what I signed up for."

"You've re-established the night class?" Ruka blinked in surprise. What exactly has happened in these past few weeks?

Kaito shifted his eyes to her. "She the reason you've been away? Another lackey, I assume?"

"Says the guy who self-reported spending the past four nights herding fan girls around," Ruka glowered at him, smarting over the lackey comment.

"I'm not sure I like her," his eyes were as judging and cold as Zero's.

Zero shrugged. "An informant reported sightings of her and another guy in their local area. They may be able to tell us what Kaname has been up to."

"Why didn't you bring in the guy?" Kaito demanded as he and Zero escorted Ruka down one of the corridors. "How are we supposed to threaten information out of a girl?"

"He wasn't there," Zero was calm as a millpond. This was very different from the guy she remembered two years ago. "But don't worry. He'll be here in the next few days."

"Oh?" Kaito lifted an eyebrow. "Devoted boyfriend?"

"I'm right here, you know," Ruka snapped. "And he's not my boyfriend. He's just –" She stopped herself short.

"What, exactly?" Zero asked, though his tone clearly indicated he didn't care much for an answer.

Ruka fell silent. She didn't know the answer to that question. It was still something she was trying to figure out in her head.

Kaito watched their exchange with narrowed eyes. "So should the doormen be on the lookout for anyone in particular?"

"Tall." Zero thought about it. "Redhead."

"That's it?" Kaito stared at him.

"It'll be enough."

The three of them fell silent. The only sounds Ruka could hear over the threatening aura of their surroundings was that of their footsteps down the empty corridor.

* * *

><p>"So what are Kaname Kuran's plans?" Kaien Cross asked Ruka from his seat across the room. The room was set out like a court. It was mostly bare, save for the long broad table and chairs placed at the far end of the room. At its head sat the Headmaster of the Cross Academy. On his right was Toga Yagari and to his left, Zero, with Kaito behind him.<p>

Ruka was offered so such comfort. Like any proper interrogation, the subject was to be placed in the centre of the room, on a witness stand, surrounded by high metal railings. She felt boxed in and trapped. A chandelier was hanging down from the ceiling, directly over Ruka's head, illuminating the whole room.

On the bright side, they've taken off the chains that bound her wrists together, leaving just the cuffs around her wrists. It was for her own protection in the building, they had claimed. And while that may be true, Ruka knew it was more than that. The cuffs kept her powers at bay and without it, the hunters had the advantage.

"I don't know." And it was the truth.

"Since Nagamichi Aidou's death," Ruka clenched her hands. "You've accompanied Kaname as he escaped capture and left this town. What has he been up to?"

"I don't know." She repeated. For the forty-seventh time. "Like I told you, Akatsuki and I have been residing in that town for the past few weeks, and apart from getting rid of some rogue vampires, we haven't done anything out of sorts."

Sighing, she shifted her feet. At first, she was determined to keep quiet and not diverge in any information but as the questions dragged on, she realized in actual fact, she didn't know anything anyway.

Zero was looking at her with a pair of knowing eyes. "Such simple creatures," he murmured quietly, the whisper carried across the room.

It was an obvious bait.

"Look," she began, annoyed at the string of incessant and seemingly identical questions. "I may not know what Kaname-sama's plans are. But the thing both you and I know is that for Kaname-sama, there is only ever one motive – to protect Yuuki-sama. With that in mind, you should be reassured that his activities, whatever they may be, would not break the peace treaty."

The hunters glanced at one another.

"Should we tell her?" Kaito asked quietly. The others remained silent.

"Tell me what?" Ruka gritted her teeth in annoyance. There had never been a patient bone in her body.

"Yuuki-sama is in our custody at the moment," Kaien said. "She's taken over Kaname's role in maintaining peace between the vampires and humans with the re-establishment of the night class at the Cross Academy."

So the night class had indeed returned. But that doesn't explain why the hunters were so worried about Kaname-sama's whereabouts.

"Yeah, so?"

"Patience, young vampiress," Kaito admonished her mockingly. "Despite Yuuki Kuran's insistence that peace can still be retained, Sara Shirabuki has been visiting a lot of all-girls boarding schools and turning the students into vampires."

"Was the conversion consensual?" Ruka wanted to know.

Kaien inclined his head in assent.

"Then it's not in breach of the peace treaty," Ruka stated. "If they were, I have no doubt Kaname-sama would have approached Sara-sama to settle this issue. So if he hasn't done so already, then you shouldn't be too concerned."

"Did you not study the history of your ancestors when you were a kid?" Zero stirred in his seat. "Back then, when purebloods were battling it out for supremacy, they created massive armies of ex-human vampires, every single one of whom were enslaved to do the wills of their masters."

"Then shouldn't you be going after her, instead of trying to track down Kaname-sama?"

"She's in our custody too," Toga Yagari spoke up.

That was news. "You've managed to capture Sara-sama?"

"No," he shook his head. "She came to us voluntarily, saying that Kaname has been on a pureblood-killing rampage and she feared she would be next. She claimed that Kaname was responsible for Ouri and Hanadagi's demise. She now seeks the protection of the night class and vampire hunter association."

"That's impossible," Ruka vehemently denied. "Kaname-sama would never do something like that. It's, it's the most," she faltered and gripped the railings of the stand with both hands for strength. She shook her head. "Kaname-sama would never commit the most heinous crime in the history of purebloods. Sara-sama must have been mistaken."

Her words were met with doubtful looks.

Frustrated at being unable to get through to them, Ruka turned to Zero. "Come on, you may dislike Kaname-sama but you know he's incapable of such things."

Zero stared back at her with an unreadable expression. "Incapable?"

He then slowly got up from his seat, walked around the table and walked across the room to where she was. Alarmed, Ruka tried to take a step back but Zero reached out and grabbed one of her arms. He pulled her in until they were almost touching. His scent hit her nose and she froze. It was unmistakable.

The scent of the Kuran blood.

"Two years ago, at the academy," she realized. "It was you who spilt his blood."

"I took what was freely offered." His pale violet eyes were boring holes into hers. "But thanks to his blood, I've been – what's the word? – stable ever since."

That doesn't make sense. He was turned by Shizuka-sama. Without her blood, Zero would inevitably descend into Level E. So how can he be stab– no. That can't be right. It was impossible. She shook her head, unwilling to accept it.

"Think about it." He released her arm and took a few steps back. "Now, what do you know about..."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I tried my best to fix up this chapter but after three days, I threw my hands up in the air and gave up. I know this chapter is... terrible. There were days I wanted to delete the entire story and start from scratch again. So even getting this out was a minor accomplishment.

Cheers,

Witless Fool


	10. Chapter 10: Puppets on a String

**Chapter Ten: Puppets on a String**

Akatsuki yawned as he settled himself in for the long ride ahead. He tried to stretch out his legs but couldn't quite manage it. The seats in first class, no matter how luxurious, were still designed with humans in mind. Giving up, he crossed his legs, leaned back into the seat and prepared himself for the two hour trip ahead.

Outside the window, the underground pass whizzed by as the train hurtled towards the mainland.

Why did they even make windows for these intercontinental underground trains anyway? That was a question that has plagued Akatsuki for years. For one thing, they were underground. All they would be able to see was the fortified fibre glass that created the railway tunnels. And for another, even if there were scenery outside worthy of their attention, the breakneck speed at which they were travelling would only render everything into a blur.

Those were the kind of things Akatsuki thought about.

Akatsuki glanced across the two-by-two compartment. Sitting diagonally from him, Seiren had her gaze fixed firmly on the closed door. Even though they've attended the Cross Academy together for years, Seiren was still a mystery. Hell, he didn't even know her last name. She wasn't of noble birth, that Akatsuki was fairly certain about since it was his job to check and update the enrolment records of the night class students back at the academy. But it would be foolish to underestimate her. Seiren's skills at martial arts could easily match if not surpass the powers of most aristocratic vampires.

Even now, she had one hand resting idly on her knees and the other tucked into her jacket. On the surface, she appeared relaxed but Akatsuki knew that she had a dagger in her pocket and the hand on her knees was a mere centimetres away from her whip. She was on full alert, prepared for any unexpected ambush or attack.

"Yes?" Seiren asked, her eyes darting across to Akatsuki.

Caught staring, Akatsuki shrugged. "Nothing."

Those were the first two words they've said to each other since they boarded the train.

They were both quiet observers, content to let those around them do the talking. Had Akatsuki been travelling with his cousins, the compartment would have been lit up with rowdy arguments over one thing or another. Occasionally, Akatsuki had to step in and be the umpire. But most of the time, his cousins' barks were worse than their bites. Hanabusa and Ruka might have fought like cats and dogs, but when push came to shove, they were thick as thieves.

But his cousins weren't here. And instead, the compartment was filled a comfortable silence. Akatsuki had intended to use this time to do some quiet thinking but his mind strangely refused to budge. The pieces of the puzzle were all there but he couldn't quite seem to get them to fit together.

Let's just start small then, Akatuski decided, closing his eyes and tilting his head back. This was about the purebloods. It always has been and it always will. There were so few of them left now yet each one of them were capable of wrecking massive destruction should they wish to. Shizuka Hio, for instance, was brazen enough to walk into Kaname's domain to pick a fight. Her defeat ended up costing her her life.

Rido Kuran had slightly more success in terms of the amount of damage he managed to inflict before his demise. But even he failed to topple Kaname.

In each of these cases, Kaname seemed to be aware of everything well before they actually happened. Like a true chess master, he had placed the necessary pieces where they needed to be right from the start and left them there. His opponents were fooled into a sense of complacency, thinking that Kaname was playing a defence strategy. When in actual fact, he was merely drawing giving them the opportunity to create their own downfall. And once they entered a trap of their own making, Kaname's pieces closed off the entrance, finishing them off.

Akatsuki could only hope that this dangerous game that Kaname was playing with Sara Shirabuki would play out in a similar fashion. Prior to the start of this journey, Kaname had claimed that he needed more pieces on his side of the board, but from his recent actions, Kaname seemed content to let Sara make all the moves.

_What was he planning?_

At the start of the year, there were six pureblood families that remained. With the death of Ouri-sama at the ball, the number had dropped down to five. The head of the Hanadagi clan followed. The destruction of the castle at the Thousand Miles Fall saw the end of the entire clan.

_That leaves just four..._

"Three," Seiren said quietly.

Startled out of his thought, Akatsuki realized he must have said that last bit out. Wait –

"Three?"

Seiren nodded her head slowly, her eyes were still focused on the door. "The Touma clan was wiped out a month ago."

Akatsuki hesitated. "Was Kaname-sama responsible?"

Seiren's violet eyes slid over to stare at him, her gaze hooded and expressionless. "Would that be a problem?" She inquired politely.

"No," he shook his head. Everything these days was a problem. Akatsuki wasn't sure if anything could shock him anymore. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair.

Seiren continued to stare at him, as if she couldn't tell if his response was genuine.

"But no," Seiren added after a few moments. "Their residence was destroyed when we arrived at the scene."

And then there were three.

Akatsuki crossed his arms and closed his eyes, willing the train to go faster. It's been two and a half weeks since he left. During that time, he hasn't worried about Ruka. Sure, he had thought about her. Often. And the littlest things seemed to trigger memories of their childhood together. But he never gave much thought about what she was up to back on the mainland. He didn't permit himself to, knowing that once he started worrying, he would never be able to stop.

And sure enough, now that he's started, a strange sense of urgency had taken over him. He felt trapped in this closed off compartment. His breathing quickened and he had to consciously even it back out.

Forcing his mind elsewhere, Akatsuki opened his eyes only to find Seiren still staring at him. He had the distinct impression she was assessing him. What for? Did she know something he didn't?

"Did Kaname-sama ask us to do anything after we get off?" He asked. Following their inspection of the Hanadagi castle, Kaname had left them with instructions to return to the mainland. He said he would meet up with them back at the hotel but other than that, he didn't reveal anything else. Kaname was keeping all his cards close to his chest.

"No," Seiren replied. She raised an eyebrow. "Did you expect him to?"

Finding her expressionless stare uncomfortable, Akatsuki closed his eyes again. He didn't even bother answering Seiren's question.

Because the truth was, he wasn't sure what to expect from Kaname anymore.

* * *

><p>After two hours of hurtling through the underground tunnels, the train finally emerged onto the surface. Outside, it was already dark. The city skyline was illuminated by thousands if not millions of lights. But even from their vantage point aboard the train, Akatsuki could tell things have changed. Save for a couple of taxis and buses, the roads were almost devoid of any traffic. No traffic meant no pedestrians on the streets. No pedestrians meant no business for the shops. Even with all the lights brightly lit, the city was in lockdown mode.<p>

Slowing down, the train rolled into the station. Akatsuki got up from his seat and slung on his jacket. He reached overhead to get his luggage from the storage compartment. Setting it down on the ground, he saw that Seiren was already standing by the door with bag in hand. She was probably just as eager to get out of the train as he was. Wordlessly, they slid open the compartment door and joined the stream of passengers who were disembarking from the train.

Stepping onto the platform, Akatsuki breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to be in open air again. Ignoring the stares from the humans around him, he made his way towards the exit. It was only about ten metres later when he realized Seiren was walking right alongside him.

Akatsuki blinked.

"Yes?" Seiren asked quietly.

"Nothing," Akatsuki replied, getting a strange sense of déjà vu. Didn't they have this conversation already?

Seiren usually worked by a separate set of agenda that was unknown to the rest of them. If they weren't on a mission together, she would often leave to do her own thing – which, as far as Akatsuki could tell, was usually something Kaname had requested.

"Was there somewhere you needed to go?" Akatsuki asked as they walked up to the limousine that was waiting there at the station for them. The porter immediately took their luggage and moved to store them into the trunk. Without waiting for chauffeur, Akatsuki opened the door himself and waited politely for Seiren to go in first.

"No," she glanced up at him as she slid into the limo, her gaze cool and expressionless as ever. "Just the hotel."

That was ... unusual. Akatsuki knew for a fact that Seiren did not have a reservation at the hotel. Was she planning on staying with them?

But as he climbed in after her and the limo slid smoothly off the curb onto the road, Akatsuki didn't give it anymore thought. As they passed by familiar street signs and buildings, he felt a sense of calm wash over his weary body. It was almost like a homecoming, which was odd considering he and Ruka had only stayed here for roughly a month. Two months ago, he hadn't even heard of this place and yet here he was, treating it as if he had lived here for years.

With no other cars on the streets, the limousine reached the hotel in record time. Climbing out, he glanced up at the fifth floor windows. The windows that corresponded to their hotel suite were dark. Akatsuki frowned. Ruka couldn't still be asleep. It was already past midnight. But she couldn't have gone out. All those pleasant feelings he had from the smooth car ride dissipated.

"Hey Seiren," he turned around just as she climbed out. "Can you take care of our bags? I want to go up first."

"No, I'll come with you," Seiren looked over at the chauffeur, who was opening the trunk. "I'm sure the bellboy will check in the luggage."

Too concerned to care, Akatsuki entered the hotel without a backward glance. Entering the lobby, he considered the lifts. But they were too slow. Instead, he headed for the stairwell and bounded up the stairs two steps at a time. A second set of footsteps soon followed his.

Walking down the empty corridor, Akatsuki fished the hotel key out of his jacket. He slid the key into place and turned the door knob. Was he overreacting? Hanabusa was always telling him he worried too much. He usually made that comment after he played a prank on Ruka and he was worried Akatsuki was going to come after him for it.

"_You worry too much," Hanabusa always tried to laugh the whole matter away. "She's totally fine, see?"_

Akatsuki opened the door to a pitch-black room. Even before his eyes adjusted, even before he flipped the light switch on, even before Seiren reached him, he sensed it.

It was deserted.

Akatsuki stepped into the living room, scanning it for any disturbances. Everything seemed to be in their place. There was no sign of struggle anywhere. But there was a heavy smell of bleach in the room and underneath it, like the subtle fragrance of a summer's garden, the scent of Ruka's blood wafted through the air.

No. Ruka was definitely not fine.

In two quick steps, Akatsuki made his way into Ruka's bedroom. Nothing. He checked his room as well. He also emerged empty-handed.

"Calm down," Seiren's cool voice cut through his train of thought.

Akatsuki looked up to see Seiren leaning against the closed front door, her unwavering gaze following his every move. Ignoring her, he walked over to the back of the sofa and stood right above where the blood scent was the strongest. Ruka was definitely cut here. He glanced over at the bar and something caught his eyes.

Picking it up, he realized it was a small business card. It was completely blank. But flipping it over, he saw a familiar sign on the reverse side. A small diamond shape rested in the centre, with a spiky hexagon connected to each of its tips. Crossing over it was a big bold X. The whole shape resembled two interlocking crosses. But at the same time, it also resembled a four petal flower with thorns – elegant yet deadly.

It was the Hunter symbol.

A calling card, Akatsuki realized. How did they find out where they were?

It didn't matter. None of it mattered anymore. Akatsuki crushed the card with his hand and without giving it a second thought, burnt it into ashes. He needed to go to the Vampire Hunter Association now. A taxi ride would take twelve hours at least. So if he started now, he should be able to get there by the morning.

"You're going to have to wait for Kaname-sama on your own," Akatsuki told Seiren. "I have to go somewhere."

Seiren stepped into his path, blocking his exit. "I can't let you do that," she said calmly.

That threw him. "What?"

"Kaname-sama never instructed that you could leave," Seiren said. "Our directions were specific, arrive at the town and meet up with Kaname-sama at the hotel."

Akatsuki stared at Seiren in shock. He clenched his jaw – "I don't think you understand what's going on."

"They were tipped off by the cleaning crew. And she was taken days ago." Seiren interrupted him smoothly. "What's done is done."

Akatsuki stared at her. She lifted an eyebrow in response.

It was only then that a horrible thought crossed his mind.

"What did you do?" He asked quietly.

Seiren shrugged effortlessly. "What I was told."

That only meant...

"That bastard," Akatsuki gritted out. The woods in the fireplace started to smoulder.

He meant every word. But even to him, it sounded like blasphemy.

In the blink of an eye, Seiren leapt to where Akatsuki was standing. She had a dagger pressed against his throat and a death grip on his right arm. Her violet eyes narrowed, calm and pitiless. The only thing saving him from an instant execution was his long-standing loyalty to Kaname. If it were anyone else, Seiren would have slain them without a moment's hesitation.

It all made sense now. The train ride. Accompanying him back to the hotel.

"Kaname-sama told you to keep a watch on me, didn't he?"

Seiren didn't respond. She only pressed the dagger harder against his throat. His skin gave away to the sharp blade. He could feel a trail of blood trickling slowly down his neck.

There was only one thing he wanted to know. "Why?"

A fire suddenly burst into life by the fireplace. It was only then Akatsuki realized his entire body was trembling with rage.

Seiren hesitated. "He has his reasons." Meaning she didn't know.

"You must understand," Akatsuki said quietly. "So do I."

As he spoke, he attacked.

He swung his left arm up at her. Seiren arched back to escape the blow, pulling the dagger away from his throat. Akatsuki ripped his right arm out of her grip and hissed with pain as her nails tore into his flesh. Now that he was out of her grasp, he might just have a fighting chance.

Grabbing a bar stool from behind him, Akatsuki threw it at Seiren. Quick as lightning, Seiren whipped out a sword from her coat and slashed it into pieces. A second bar stool quickly followed and was dealt the same fate. The broken pieces of wood rained down around her. Akatsuki set them alight, temporarily trapping Seiren in a ring of fire.

He took two steps to his left and leapt across the sofa. He barely had time to duck down behind its other end when two daggers whizzed past his hair, embedding themselves into the wall. He felt the couch depress with the weight of Seiren as she followed him across the room. Damn, the fire must have burnt out. He placed both hands on the edge of the sofa and flipped it over.

Seiren twisted in midair to avoid being rolled over by the couch, giving Akatsuki enough time to reach up and wrench the daggers out of the wall. He turned around and hurled them at her. Seiren skilfully dodged them, her chin-length hair fanning out as she twisted her body out of the way. Akatsuki took the chance to enter his bedroom and slam the door shut behind him. He locked it, even though it would only take Seiren a few seconds to unlock it.

_Crack – _The door splintered and gave way to Seiren's foot.

Okay, so maybe she didn't need to unlock it.

Scanning the room, Akatsuki had two options: fight or flight. If they were alone in a deserted building, he might have taken his chances against Seiren. But in a crowded hotel of a busy town, he wouldn't be able to use his powers as much as he would like. Behind him, the door eventually gave away to her powerful kicks.

Flight, it was then.

Akatsuki scrambled across the king-size bed just as Seiren entered the room. He barely had time to fling open the window when one of her daggers found its mark. He clutched his right shoulder in surprise and felt the wet spread of his blood underneath his shirt. Without thinking, he yanked it out and turned around to pitch it back at Seiren.

But at the last second, instead of flying out of his grasp as he intended it to, the dagger dangled loosely in his hand before dropping with a quiet clang onto the floor. All of a sudden, he felt tired... drained, in fact. And there was a headache brewing in the back of his mind. Clutching at his head, Akatsuki collapsed against the wall by the open window and slumped down onto the floor. Tilting his head back, he saw Seiren was in a similar state. It should have meant something, but with the fog clouding his brain, he couldn't figure out what.

Then _he_ walked in.

And it clicked.

Through half-lidded eyes, Akatsuki could only watch on as Kaname slowly walked up to him. The pureblood looked quiet and contemplative. Sad, perhaps. But there was not a flicker of surprise in his eyes as he surveyed the damage done to the hotel suite.

"I wasn't sure if I would get here on time," he murmured as he held out a hand and helped Akatsuki back onto his feet. With no control over his own body, Akatsuki could only observe his own movements with a clinical detachment.

"Kaname-sama," Behind them, Seiren also slowly got up.

"You did well, Seiren," Kaname commented as he continued to hold Akatsuki's gaze. He cracked a small smile but his dark eyes were still sombre. "I don't think I've ever seen Akatsuki this determined. I have chosen well."

His words seemed to contain hidden meaning, but Akatsuki's foggy mind couldn't figure them out. Groggily, as if coming out of a drunken stupor, Akatsuki managed one word. "Chosen?"

"You have questions," Kaname nodded slowly. "But now's not the time for answers. We need to get moving, soon. There's a lot more that needs to be done before the end."

Then, as if he was dashed with a bucket was cold water, the fog lifted and his mind cleared. Before he even fully realized he was free from his bounds –

_Wham!_

His fist flew up and connected with Kaname's jaw, sending the pureblood flying back against the four-poster bed.

"Seiren, no," Kaname spoke as he sat up on the bed, nursing his jaw. Behind them, Seiren halted mid-step. Kaname might have stopped her movements, but there was nothing he could do to stop the anger flashing in her dusky violet eyes. Kaname let out a small rueful smile. "I guess I deserved that one."

Trembling with rage, Akatsuki wanted nothing more than to take Kaname by the shoulders and shake him until he could get some sense into him. Yes, he was their lord. Yes, they followed him out of loyalty and respect. But there were boundaries that were not meant to be crossed. For Akatsuki, there really was only one line.

And Kaname crossed it.

Akatsuki tried to take a step forward but found that he couldn't.

"I will let you that one punch," Kaname tilted his head as he studied the tall redhead standing in front of him. "But that's all."

Ignoring the warning, Akatsuki growled out. "Why?"

They both knew what he was referring to.

"Why?" Kaname repeated. "It's a game."

His smile was faint. "Don't look so surprised, Akatsuki. It's how us bored purebloods while away the endless trickle that is time. The games that we play are always so simple in design but rarely straightforward in its execution. Like a simple game of chess, the goal is to take out all your opponents' pieces before they take out yours."

His frank honesty shocked Akatsuki. His rage was slowly subsiding, only to be replaced by a sense of dread. Not for his own safety. No. But for what was undoubtedly about to unfold.

Something big and terrible loomed in the horizon. And Akatsuki wasn't sure if it could be stopped.

"Who gave you the right to play with people's lives?" Akatsuki said quietly. "Are you god?"

"Would you laugh if I said yes?" Kaname asked in return, his dark eyes ensnaring Akatuski's.

_What did he mean by that?_

"Never mind," Kaname shook his head. "That's not important. And in a way, by putting the purebloods up on a pedestal, doesn't the vampire society deem us to be gods? You're all like bees, eager to please their queen."

Holding no illusions about their respective positions, Akatsuki was forced to agree that it was an accurate description.

And hadn't it always been this way?

Lower class vampires were created for the sole purpose of serving their lords. Without the blood of the one who created them, ex-human vampires will eventually fall down to Level E. From the moment they were bitten, their lives were forfeited – handed over to their master to do as they pleased.

Noble vampires, despite their higher ranking and powers, were only slightly better. They enjoyed a greater degree of freedom. But beneath that carefree bored mask they all wore was the knowledge that at any moment's notice, the purebloods could come and control them like puppets on a string.

Just like he was now.

"So, in this game of chess you play," Akatsuki asked, still unable to move. "Is Yuuki-sama the queen?"

"No," Kanam's lips curled up at the mention of her name. "She's the only piece that matters."

The king, then. And in a way, it made sense. The most important piece in the game, without which the game would be over. Yet strangely, despite its powerful position, it was also one with limited movements. It relied on others to protect itself and its kingdom.

"Then what are we? Pawns?"

Was this what their lives were reduced down? Pawns on a chessboard?

"No, you're much more powerful than that," Kaname stood up. "You're a rook." Glancing over his shoulder, Kaname turned his attention to Seiren, who had remained still since the beginning of this conversation. "Thank you. His injuries will make it somewhat easier."

A lady of few words, Seiren bowed in response.

Turning back to face Akatsuki, Kaname held out a hand. "Now, it's time for you to take a step forward."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thank you for all your support. I know I have been acting like Eeyore for the past few chapters. Special mention to Obsessiveness (author of The Vampire Guardian) for getting me out of my slump. If it wasn't for her, I think I would still be curled up in a corner hosting my own self-pity party. So thank you :)

In a way, I'm really happy to finally get this chapter out of my head and down on the computer screen. A lot of you predicted an angry Akatsuki charging to the Vampire Hunter Association but I'm not sure this was what you imagined. This was just how I pictured in my mind and I really hope it lived up to your expectations.

Witless Fool


	11. Chapter 11: Reunions

**Chapter Eleven: Reunions**

It was another moon-lit night. Without a single cloud in the sky, the stars sparkled like diamonds resting on a black velvet cloth. Back down on earth, there was a gentle breeze in the air, rustling across the tree tops and sweeping through the empty streets of the quiet town. The streets were deserted, but not because of fear. Most people were comfortable and warm inside their homes. Here in a town occupied mostly by vampire hunters and those who worked for the association, there was little to be afraid of. Everything was calm.

Or at least, that was how it should have been.

Instead –

"Hey, somebody let me in!" A pair of fists was pounding furiously against the front gates of the Vampire Hunters Association headquarter.

Behind the closed doors, three individuals were listening in the ruckus outside. There was a pause – a momentary break in the insistent knocking. The silence was a welcoming relief to their sore ears.

"Do you think he..." One of them mused out loud as he stared at the doors.

"Oi!" An annoyed voice rang out from the other side. "It's been ten minutes. Come on!"

"No," Zero answered the doorkeeper's unfinished question. "He doesn't give up."

"I know you guys are in there!"

"So, uh..." the other guard on duty that night asked tentatively. "Should we open the door?"

"Why?" Stone-faced, Zero turned look at him. "Even if we do, he can't cross the threshold. This place is safe-guarded against their race."

They both stayed silent, unsure how to interpret his answer. On the other side of the door, the intruder continued to demand entry. Eventually, Zero sighed, lifted the latch and pulled the doors open, revealing a visibly annoyed vampire.

"Kiryu," the irate caller gritted out through clenched teeth. The crisp white Night Class uniform he had adorned stood no chance against the winter chill. Despite his best efforts, the visitor was visibly trembling from the cold.

"Aidou-senpai," Zero acknowledged the blonde with a curt nod. He didn't say anymore, seemingly content to just stand and stare at the shivering vampire standing on the other side of the threshold.

Finally, Hanabusa Aidou seemed to have had enough. "Look, are you going to let me in or not?"

"I opened the door, didn't I?"

Hanabusa's right eye twitched with irritation. "Yes, but I can't walk in."

"Then, why are you here?"

"You've got Ruka."

"And you've got blue eyes."

Those aforementioned blue eyes blinked with confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh," Zero shrugged as he slid his hands into his jacket. "I thought we were stating the obvious. Speaking of stating the obvious, aren't you supposed to be in class right now?"

"Yuuki-sama gave me permission to come here," Hanabusa replied. His tone might have been defiant but there was a shadow of trepidation in his eyes. The memory of what occurred the last time he spoke to Zero about Yuuki was obviously still fresh in his mind. One did not easily forget being threatened with a chainsaw and then thrown into a jail cell.

"News travels fast these days," Zero commented. "Must be Kaien's handiwork."

"Look," Hanabusa thrust a hand through his hair in frustration. "I just want to check up on her."

"Well, I guess it can't be helped." Zero reached over and grabbed Hanabusa, easily lifting him off his feet. Turning around, he walked into the headquarter carrying Hanabusa like one would with a sac of potatoes. The doorkeeper and guard could only look on with bemusement.

"Hey, what are you doing? Put me down!" Hanabusa's protests echoed down the lofty hallway.

"Third one this week," the hooded doorkeeper muttered as he pushed the doors close. "And I'm only counting the ones who willingly came here. Any more, and we might as well remove the 'Hunters' from our name. What kind of headquarter is this?"

* * *

><p>Ruka had expected a lot of things when she was captured by Zero, most of which came to fruition. The handcuffs. Check. The uncomfortable sensation of being inside the headquarter. Check. The hour long interrogation in which the hunters realized she knew nothing about Kaname's plans. Check. The small jail cell furnished with only a functional though lumpy single bed and an end table. Check. Being guarded around the clock by unsmiling hunters. Check. But there was one thing she did not expect.<p>

Boredom.

This was worse than being alone in the hotel suite. Back there, all she had to do was think of ways to entertain herself and keep her mind off uncomfortable thoughts that she didn't want to dwell on. But now, in this jail cell, with no one but incommunicable guards outside for company, Ruka had no choice but face her own inner turmoil.

_Think about it..._

Zero's words suddenly came to the forefront of her mind. Ruka's eyes flew open with shock as she remembered the way his violet eyes stared at her, almost taunting her into accepting the unthinkable.

That Kaname-sama had committed the ultimate sin and killed a pureblood.

Was it possible? She just didn't know. As much as her mind recoiled from the taboo, Ruka was forced to admit that when push came to shove, Kaname-sama was more than capable of killing Shizuka-sama. It was all about having the right motivation. And for him, all that mattered was Yuuki-sama.

Even Ruka knew that much.

And judging by the current state of affairs, that was really all she knew. A small rueful, self-deprecating smile crept onto Ruka's face as she continued to stare up at the ceiling. Looking back at the past with greater clarity, she realized now that, despite all her talk about being close to Kaname-sama, she never really was. The one who was always by his side was Takuma. Hanabusa and Akatsuki were considered his right-hand men, and they were constantly carrying out errands in the background. Even the expressionless, mysterious Seiren probably played a greater role in the whole scheme of things.

Clouded by her own feelings, Ruka was just dancing around by herself.

And just what were those feelings? Thinking about that only led to more questions rather than answers. Did she ever truly love him? But then again, when it came down to it, what was love? Being part of the Aidou faction, she was, by birth, loyal to the purebloods. But it was more than that. Ever since she was a child, she had admired him as an individual, respected his position, trusted his judgments, and believed in him.

Loyalty. Admiration. Respect. Trust. Did all of that add up to love? Shouldn't love be something more?

Again, Ruka didn't have any answers.

In a way, it was funny. She had never been the analytical sort of person yet here she was, dissecting her past feelings with the skilful hands of a brain surgeon. But none of it mattered that much. There was a more important question that was unanswered.

Where should she go from here?

_Ding!_

Somewhere inside the headquarter, a grandfather clock struck twelve, marking the beginning of a new day. Outside her cell, the guards came out of their torpor in anticipation of finally being released from their boring and thankless task.

"Twelve oh one," Ruka said out loud as the sound of footsteps reached her ears. "Change of guards." With nothing else to do over the last few days, she had already memorized their schedule. What's more, the vampire hunters seemed to be sticklers for punctuality. They were rarely more than half a minute behind their schedule.

A key could be heard inserting into the door. "Ah," she murmured, with no trace of enthusiasm in her voice. "Twelve oh five, dinner for the prisoners. Spaghetti with some sort of sauce, coupled with a glass of water and a blood tablet."

However, when the door opened, it did not reveal a guard bearing a tray of food. As Ruka was still lying on her bed, she sensed rather than saw a small object flying through the air towards her. Reaching up with one hand, she caught it.

Bearing the emblem of the Cross Academy, it was a small box of blood tablets.

Frowning, she lifted her head up from the pillows and spotted Kaito leaning against the open door.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Kaito said, though his tone bore no emotions whatsoever. "Those pills will have to do."

"Let me guess, cook's not here and the apprentice is wreaking havoc in the kitchen?" Ruka asked as she sat up.

Kaito inclined his head, confirming her suspicions. "Our cook is out sick and from what I heard, his apprentice is struggling – something about spilt eggs on the floor. Wait," his eyes narrowed. "How did you know?"

Ruka glowered at him. What? Just because she was a female doesn't mean she was completely brainless. "One," she held up a hand, ticking off her fingers as she went along. "Your menu is the same every single day, which means you guys must either love spaghetti to death or you only have one cook. Making one guy cook for an entire organization, of course he's going to mass produce something easy and quick. Two, the meal is the same quality every single day: great pasta, terrible sauce. So I'm guessing your cook only ever lets his apprentice handle the sauce – for good reason, by the way. Three, you have been limiting my blood tablet to one a day. To give me a whole box of pills indicates dinner is cancelled, not just delayed. Four, why else would you be here? Five," now with a fully spread hand, Ruka waited for the right moment. She smirked as the stomach of one of the new guards rumbled in hunger. "Even the guards are running on empty fumes. How am I doing so far?"

His smile was faint. "Pretty well."

Ruka hmphed as she popped open the box and chugged down a blood tablet. She grimaced at the taste. "Just tell the poor kid to pour the flour on to the pastry board, make a well in the centre and crack the eggs in. That way, the eggs won't leak out and spill everywhere. Use his fingers to gently mix in the eggs." She demonstrated with her hand. "Knead for a good twenty minutes or so and once it's ready, put it through the pasta machine. Even an idiot like him can handle it."

"You can cook?" Kaito stared at her.

She raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

Kaito shook his head. "Didn't see that coming. Come on," he gestured for her to get up and follow him. "You're going to the kitchen."

Ruka briefly contemplated refusing, just to spite him. But tantrums never solved anything. Plus, anything was better than sitting around in a jail cell. She really wanted to just stop thinking and do something. Ruka sniffed as she stood up from the bed, straightened her skirt and followed him out.

Two flights of stairs later, they arrived at the kitchen and stepped into absolute chaos. There were piles of dirty dishes in the sink, waiting to be washed. Every available surface was covered with flour and spilt eggs. Various utensils and equipment were strewn across the kitchen counter. And amongst all the mess stood one very confused-looking man in kitchen whites.

"Oh for goodness sakes," Ruka muttered as she neatly side-stepped a puddle of eggs on the floor. Paying Kaito no mind, she grabbed a kitchen apron off the stand by the door and slipped it on. With a few deft movements, she twisted her hair up into a French twist. "You," she snapped her fingers at the apprentice as she rolled up her sleeves and washed her hand in the sink. "Get this mess cleaned up now."

After casting a nervous glance at the expressionless Kaito, the apprentice quickly leapt into action.

It took her a couple of minutes to get acquainted with the layout of the kitchen and find out where everything was. She then opened up the pantry to take a stock of the inventories. Ignoring the two males in the kitchen, she began to plan the menu in her mind. "Glad to see there are still some unbroken eggs. Maybe there'll be enough to make some sort of desert if I have time. Ooh, goat's cheese. There's also a nice selection of herbs. Hm..."

Pulling open the fridge, her eyes practically lit up with delight. "Why would your cook be making spaghetti every day when there're so many good ingredients here?" Humming to herself, she began pulling things out of the fridge.

"Kaien likes to cook," Kaito spoke up. "So he always keeps a nice supply of stuff around. Wait, I brought you up here to cook, not play around in the kitchen."

"What does it look like I'm doing," Ruka muttered as she took out a fillet knife and started to work on the salmon. "I'm so sick of pasta. Besides, you'll thank me. Oh," she added. "And you should tell Kaien to restock after I'm done here."

Back in her comfort zone, Ruka's mood gradually improved. There was something soothing about being in a kitchen and cooking food. When she was in the kitchen, she could just block everything out of her mind and concentrate on the ingredients in front of her.

"The guards told me I would find you here," somebody spoke up from behind her. Turning around, she saw Zero standing by the doorway next to Kaito. "Why is she out of her cell?"

"Cook's away," Kaito explained. "And she apparently can handle it."

"Are you kidding?" Someone else snorted. "She's brilliant. Just wait till you try her food."

With a cry, Ruka put down her knife and rushed up to throw her arms around him. But as she expected, Hanabusa huffed with annoyance before pushing her away. Yet despite that, Ruka couldn't stop smiling.

"What are you so happy about?" Hanabusa demanded to know.

"Nothing," She forced her smile down. If Hanabusa treated her like this, then he was okay. And Ruka was content with that.

"Anyway," Hanabusa stepped around her and started riffling through the kitchen. "What are you cooking?"

Ruka returned back to filleting her salmon. "I was thinking crispy-skinned salmon to start with, maybe some eggplant and goat's cheese bruschetta. I still haven't decided on dessert though."

"That's boring," Hanabusa complained as he poked his head into the pantry. "I want some beef."

Ruka's hand twitched around the filleting knife. It was just like him to barge in and start changing her plans. "Fine," she agreed. "I'll make some after I do the salmon." Setting down the knife, she started sprinkling salt onto the skin side of the salmon fillets.

"Oh, and make some chicken soup."

Ruka grounded the salt into the salmon. "Okay."

"And some sort of stir-fry, surprise me."

"Damn it, Hanabusa," Ruka snapped as she slammed a frying pan onto the stovetop. "I'm not a catering company. I'll cook and you'll eat. That's that. Quit whining or I won't cook anything."

They glared at each other from opposite ends of the kitchen counter. If looks could kill, both of them would have been struck down by lightning. So great was their visible hatred towards each other that the apprentice started edging towards the door. There were a lot of sharp things in the kitchen.

"Hey, hey," Kaito decided to step in. "Quit yapping."

Breaking eye contact from one another, the pair of vampires turned to glare at the hunter guarding them.

"Excuse me?" Ruka said icily.

"Don't tell Ruka to quit yapping." Hanabusa added. "Only I get to do that. Now, Ruka," he turned to his cousin. "Start cooking."

"Shut up, dumb Busa," Ruka retorted but did what he said.

Blood was thicker than water after all.

* * *

><p>"So that blonde idiot is back, huh?" Jinmu asked as he strode up to the doorkeeper.<p>

"Yeah," the doorkeeper nodded slowly from his seat by the door. Looking up from the book spread out on the table in front of him, he stared at the plate Jinmu was holding in his hands. "I thought dinner was cancelled tonight."

"Turned out that vampiress could cook," Jinmu set the plate down in front of the doorkeeper. "Salmon, some crispy bread thing, and slow roasted beef. Rumour has it that there's going to be dessert as well. Enjoy."

The doorkeeper couldn't help but stare down at it with suspicion. "You sure it's safe."

"Relax," Jinmu chuckled as he settled himself down on the chair next to the doorkeeper. "That blonde idiot's been gulping down practically half of everything she's cooked so far and he's still alive. Over half the guards on duty have also eaten. Plus, I had a plate myself. It was divine."

The doorkeeper carved into the salmon and took a hesitant bite. The salmon practically melted in his mouth but the crispy skin had a wonderful crunch to it. He tucked into the food with renewed enthusiasm. "Lately, I feel like this place has been overrun with those blood suckers." He commented around a mouthful of the beef.

"Well," Jinmu commented as he took out a pair of handcuffs from his pocket. "You might want to open the doors because there's another one coming our way."

"What?" The doorkeeper pushed the plate aside and got up from his seat. Moving to one of the windows, he peered outside into the dark. He didn't expect to see anything in the pitch black night but a flash of red caught his eyes. Untamed and sharp around the edges, it almost looked like a floating beacon of fire in the darkness. Just underneath it was a pair of red eyes, which meant only one thing.

Vampire.

"That's the one the president's looking out for?" He asked, though he already knew the answer. Sighing, he lifted the latch and pulled open the door again.

Dressed neatly in a suit with a long black trench coat thrown over the top, the visitor smiled as he offered his wrists for the handcuffs. His eyes shining like two bright rubies. "I believe you've been expecting me. I'm Akatsuki Kain."

* * *

><p>With almost everybody fed, Ruka began poking through the pantry again, trying to decide what to do for dessert. Hanabusa was no help. He just kept throwing ideas at her. Finally, fed up with his constant interruptions, Ruka sent him out into the cafeteria.<p>

"You two are an odd pair," Kaito commented after Hanabusa left the kitchen.

She didn't bother turning around. "What do you mean?"

"You cook when you are stressed," Kaito pointed out. "Yet you barely touched the food. Whereas Hanabusa will eat everything in his sight when he's stressed, but judging by the fact you won't let him anywhere near the stove, I assume he's a lousy cook."

"He would probably set the kitchen on fire," Ruka admitted, ignoring his eerily accurate comments about her behaviour. "Now, what do you think about apple crumble?"

But before Kaito could answer, Hanabusa dashed back into the kitchen. He was breathing heavily from exertion. His face was ashen and his eyes were wide with shock. He looked as if he had seen a ghost.

Ruka looked up at him and frowned. "What happened?"

He pointed at the door. "Akatsuki's here. Saw him in the corridor."

All of a sudden, Ruka's heart started beating rapidly. He was here? How was he? Did he look the same? So many questions. Yet she settled for a "Really?"

Hanabusa nodded his head jerkily.

"Then why did you run back in here?" Ruka wanted to know. That was quite unusual, to say the least.

"I don't know," Hanabusa said, with confusion written all over his face. "I saw him and I felt profoundly scared – it's almost as if I did something wrong and I knew he was going to punish me for it."

"Don't be ridiculous," Ruka retorted. "It's Akatsuki we're talking about here. Even if you did do something wrong, he would probably end up taking your blame, rather than punishing you."

"True," Hanabusa thought about it. "But I don't know, I just felt scared." He turned to Ruka. "Did you do something to him?"

"What?" Remembering back to their kiss, or rather kisses, Ruka's face flushed red with embarrassment. "What are you talking about?"

"You did, didn't you?" Hanabusa nodded his head knowingly. "And somehow, he's turned it in his mind to be my fault. He always thinks whatever you did wrong was my fault."

"Wait, what?"

Ignoring her, Hanabusa began riffling through the pantry. He came out with a couple blocks of premium chocolate. "Make him some chocolates. That'll calm him down."

Ruka grabbed them from him and dumped them on the kitchen counter. "You want me to melt some premade chocolate, temper them and set them again to calm Akatsuki down? That's the stupidest idea you've ever come up with."

"It's not stupid," Hanabusa protested. "I would ask you to make them from scratch but that would take too long. Besides, he loves chocolate, no matter what form they come in."

Ruka stared at him. "Akatsuki hates chocolate. You know that."

"What are you talking about? He loves them."

"Since when did he start liking them?"

"Since when did he start hating them?"

Ruka sighed. They were going nowhere. Somehow, most of their arguments always ended up going around in circles. "Every Valentine's Day, he's never accepted a single box of chocolates from the Day Class girls. Never."

"That's different," Hanabusa waved it off.

"How?" Ruka demanded.

"It just is," Hanabusa evaded the issue. "Now, make those chocolates."

Much to her vexation, Ruka found herself doing what he said.

For the second time that night.

* * *

><p>Zero looked at the vampire standing in the witness stand at the centre of the room. Out of all the vampires in the night class, Zero felt Akatsuki was the one he was most tolerant of. Despite the neat attire, the vampire still looked the same with his red untamed hair and tall figure. For some strange reason, as he stared into Akatsuki's red eyes, Zero felt he was going to finally get some straight answers about Kaname's whereabouts.<p>

"You've been with Kaname since Aidou-dono's death."

Akatsuki's right hand twitched against the metal railing. "Yes."

"You and Miss Souen kept a low profile while waiting for Kaname's further instructions."

"Yes."

"Kaname made contact with you, which was why you left with him."

"Yes."

"Where did you go?"

"We left the mainland."

"Why?"

"To check on the status of the rest of the Hanadagi clan."

"And?"

"They were destroyed." He answered in a flat tone.

Kaien hesitated before speaking up. "Did Kaname kill them?"

"No. They were already destroyed when we arrived at the castle."

"Why should we believe you?" Zero wanted to know.

"Why should you doubt me?" He countered.

Zero didn't reply. He merely continued to stare at him.

"Regardless of the rumours that have been flying out there," Akatsuki continued. "I can assure you that Kaname-sama had nothing to do with the recent deaths of the Hanadagi and Touma clan."

"I believe you," Kaien nodded slowly. "But we are anxious to know exactly what his exact plans are."

Akatsuki hesitated before answering. "Anything he does is to ensure the peace between our races and honour the treaty he signed two months ago with the Association. In fact, he's requested Ruka and I to re-enter the night class and help maintain order there."

"Can you manage it, Zero?" Kaien asked.

Zero shrugged. "What's another two compared to the mess we already have?"

"Of course," Akatsuki continued smoothly. "For that to happen, Ruka would have to be released from your custody."

Kaien's smile was quite faint. "Of course."

* * *

><p>"So what exactly is your relationship with Kain?"<p>

Ruka was in the process of tipping the finished chocolate products out of their moulds when Kaito asked that question. Startled, she struggled to come up with a decent answer before she realized the question was directed at Hanabusa.

"He's my first cousin."

"And you're his second cousin?" Kaito pointed at Ruka.

Hanabusa rolled his eyes. "Didn't you ever learn kinship terminology? First cousins share a common grandparent. Second cousins share a common great-grandparent. A cousin's cousin doesn't automatically make her Akatuski's second cousin."

"Oh great," Ruka muttered as she pushed the chocolates to one side and went to the oven. While they were waiting for the chocolate to set, she had gone ahead and made some apple crumble and vanilla ice-cream as well. "You've set him off on one of his lectures."

Kaito looked as if he regretted ever asking the question.

"Sure, since both the Souen and Kain family are part of the Aidou faction, the two families must share a common ancestor. But it must be quite far up the family tree so technically, while they are cousins, they are only very distantly related to each –"

"Shut up and eat," Ruka interrupted him by shoving a spoonful of apple crumble in his mouth.

Just then, Zero popped his head into the kitchen. "Ruka, come with me. Kain's waiting for you by the front gates."

"What?"

"Just come with me. Kain'll explain everything to you later." With that, Zero walked out again.

Ruka glanced over at Hanabusa. "What do you think that was about?"

"I don't know," Hanabusa shrugged. "But here," he put together a small bag of chocolates. "Take these to Akatsuki, alright."

"Seriously? At a time like this, that's all you care about? Chocolate?"

"I'm scared he's mad at one of us," Hanabusa defended himself. "And it's probably me."

Ruka shook her head in disbelief. Grabbing the bag, she slipped it into her pocket.

"Ruka."

Glancing over her shoulders, she saw Hanabusa with a serious expression on his face.

"Take care of yourself, okay?"

"You too," Ruka smiled at him.

That was all that was needed to be said between them. With those final words, Ruka left the kitchen and hurriedly followed Zero.

"Can I get these bracelets off now?" Ruka wanted to know as they stepped over the threshold of the building.

"Like I said. Akatsuki will tell you everything later. Ah, there he is," he nodded at the front gates.

Even from a distance, she could see Akatsuki's figure leaning against a taxi. How long has it been? Three weeks? Maybe four? Either way, it's been too long. Bracelets temporarily forgotten, she hurried down the stairs to the gates. Zero didn't follow.

"Ruka." Akatsuki said as she finally reached him.

She stared up into his eyes and almost took a step back. His amber eyes were completely red with bloodlust.

"When was the last time you've fed?" Ruka demanded. She pulled out the box of blood tablets that Kaito had given her earlier and shoved it in his hands.

Akatsuki hesitated. "I'll take them later."

She stared at him for a long telling moment. _No wonder..._

"Fine," Ruka said finally as she put the box back in her pocket. "Let's go."

Without another word to one another, they slipped into the cab and drove away from the Association's headquarter. The ride was silent and terse. Finally, he sighed.

"You're mad at me."

"Yes." Ruka stared out the window.

"That's to be expected," he commented. "You realize what happened?"

"Didn't they?" She glanced over at him.

"No," his shoulder jerked involuntarily. "In any case, we're here now."

Exiting the cab, she saw that they had arrived at the front door of a hotel.

"The street's deserted," Ruka commented.

"Yes." Akatsuki rubbed a hand along his throat, revealing a silver bracelet around his wrist. It was only then that Ruka remembered she still had one around her wrist as well. With the bracelet, they were still separated from their powers.

He seemed to know what she was thinking. "Don't worry about it, once we get back to the academy, they'll unlock it."

"Academy?"

He looked around, seemingly on the lookout for something. Or someone. "Let's go in first."

He led her up to their hotel suite. Ruka stepped into the room ahead of him. Looking around, she noticed there was a door by the far side of the living room, which she presumed led to the bedroom. She sensed a presence in there.

"Seiren's in the other room." It was a statement, not a question.

But he answered anyway. "Yes."

"And the hunters haven't followed us here."

"No."

"Good," Ruka nodded as she twirled around and face him. "Now get out."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Perhaps not the reunion you were expecting.

This was a chapter that had to be written. Although some bits may seem unnecessary, trust me, everything was written for a reason. And if this is confusing/messy/unrealistic, please bear with me. I promise it will all make sense in the next _two_ chapters.

Witless Fool

P.S. Sorry if Ruka seems childish in this chapter. Whenever I put her in the same scene as Hanabusa, despite my best intentions, they just seem to bring out the worst in each other.


	12. Chapter 12: Reunion Redux

**Author's Note:** By the end of this chapter, you may very well hate me. Or despise my writing. Or just think my plot is plain stupid/random/lame. But I'd just like you to know that _this is_ what I've been planning all along. There have been plenty of hints in the previous chapters. I hope you've been enjoying this story so far and that you'll stick with it through to the end. But now that I'm revealing my cards (well, some of them at least), I guess I'm a bit apprehensive about how you guys will take it.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twelve: Reunion Redux<strong>

"Pardon?" His tone was mild, with a hint of amusement. After nearly four weeks apart, the familiar sound of Akatsuki's voice should have been soothing and comforting. Instead, it grated on her nerves and sent unpleasant tingles down her spine.

It just felt plain wrong.

"Please get out." Ruka repeated, her eyes trained firmly on the ground.

He hesitated. "There are some things I need to explain to you first."

"Get out first," she demanded, her hands were balled into fists by her side. "Then we'll talk."

It didn't make sense. _How was it even possible?_

Ruka was trembling all over, partly in anger but mostly in fear. _Oh God, am I really doing this?_ Even she was surprised at what she was saying. Who was she to give _him_ orders? She was scared but damnit, she had to do this.

"Ruka –" He started to speak but immediately broke off. Ruka lifted her head in alarm and saw that he was bent over with one hand resting on his knee in support and another clutched around his throat. Beads of sweat were breaking out on his forehead and he was breathing heavily as if he had just run a marathon. His hands were twitching. His legs were shaking. It was almost if he was losing control over his body.

Well, it was never his body to begin with.

"Akatsuki?" She asked, grabbing onto his elbows to support him. Did he succeed? Or was _he_ still there? His eyes flickered, but she couldn't see anything beyond the redness of the bloodlust. Panic set in. "For God's sake, get out! He's hurting!"

"Calm down, Ruka," he breathed out. "He's fine."

"He doesn't look fine!" And she was right. The twitches have worsened into jerks and spasms. He was literally shaking from head to toe. And now, there were strange coughing sounds rumbling out from his throat.

"He's just picking up on your anxiety level." He managed to say.

"What?" That threw her off a bit.

Pushing her away, he stumbled back a few steps and stood up straight. "Fine."

His red eyes flickered again before fluttering shut. The spasms suddenly stopped and he became utterly still. Then, without a warning, Akatsuki started to pitch forward. Startled, Ruka stepped forward and grabbed onto him, but his tall frame was too much for her to handle. He collapsed down onto his knees and brought her down to hers. Unable to support his weight,  
>Ruka sat back on her haunches and let him slump against her. His head settled onto her left shoulder, his breaths blowing against her neck.<p>

Behind them, the bedroom door opened.

Trapped underneath Akatsuki's body, Ruka couldn't twist herself around to look. But she already knew who it was.

"That was very rude of you," Seiren's voice held a hint of reproof.

The full implication of what she had just done suddenly set in. Ruka cringed as she remembered all the things she said. What was she thinking? She didn't even know. But when she saw Akatsuki's eyes glittering with bloodlust, something inside her just snapped. How long had it been since he fed? She knew the symptoms of going without blood for so long: dizziness, weakness, nausea, shortness of breath and poor concentration. She was surprised to see him even standing.

"But..." She started to defend herself but quickly stopped. As soon as he refused the blood tablets she had offered, she realized something wasn't right. She couldn't quite place her finger on it but she knew something was wrong. It wasn't just the way he was dressed. There was something about his voice. His stance. His manner. Even Hanabusa had felt a glimpse of it when he saw him. It was still physically him. But she knew she wasn't really talking to Akatsuki.

Nevertheless, there was no excuse for the way she reacted. She spoke out of turn and demanded things that she had no right to demand. She was surprised Seiren didn't give her a good tongue lashing for her misbehaviour. Hell, even _she_ would give herself a tongue lashing. But in the heat of the moment, she did was she thought was needed. Unconsciously, Ruka tightened her arms around Akatsuki's upper torso.

"It's okay, Seiren," Kaname spoke as he walked out of the bedroom. Walking into Ruka's field of vision, he had a box of blood tablets in his hand and was chucking them in his mouth by the handful. Just like Akatsuki's, Kaname's eyes were glittering red with bloodlust. Evidently, he hadn't fed for a long time either.

"I-I-I'm sorry," Ruka stammered, completely mortified at her previous actions. "I was just so surprised. I di-didn't know what I wa-was thinking."

Kaname chuckled. "Please stop. You'll ruin it."

Ruka blinked in surprise.

Kaname tilted his head to gaze out at the city lights outside the window, his eyes were clouded and distant. "In a way, the way you talked, it reminded me of Yuuki. She never cared for propriety or correctness. If there was something on her mind, she would just say it and worry about the consequences later."

_Aaah, so it's like that... _

"If only everyone was like that," Kaname continued. "If everyone was blunt and transparent from the outset, then perhaps there won't be so many troubles in this world. There would be no need to play these silly games. And certainly no need for me to take any action..." he trailed off.

Ruka didn't know what to say.

"Kaname-sama," Seiren bowed her head in respect, with one hand placed across her chest. Ruka could see that even now, she was always at the ready to carry out Kaname's orders.

Her words seemed to pull Kaname out of his thoughts.

"Ah yes, Seiren," Kaname tipped more tablets out onto his hand. "Please go down and see to the driver. We'll be off in a minute."

"Understood." With another bow, Seiren quickly exited the room.

"Now," Kaname turned his attention to Ruka, his glittering red eyes were slowly dulled to their normal dark hue. Thanks to the large quantity of tablets he had consumed, the bloodlust was receding. "You have questions."

There were so many questions swirling in her head. What was going on? Why were the hunters after them? Why was Yuuki-sama reforming the night class? Did he know what Sara-sama was up to? Ruka hesitated. "Why?"

"Why I used Akatsuki?" Kaname tilted his head back and threw more tablets in his mouth. "I needed to contact the hunters. There were some things they knew that I needed to confirm. And there were information I needed to pass onto them but clearly, I couldn't go in person. And I also needed to place you two into the Academy."

He looked down at the unconscious Akatsuki, who was still lying in Ruka's arms. "I regretted weakening him," he murmured, with a hint of regret in his voice. "I needed the bloodlust to obscure the irises. The hunters would have known something was up if they saw his eyes had changed their hues. Plus, it's easier to control someone when they're frail. Even just then," Kaname's lips twisted up into a smile. "He put up a pretty good fight. At full strength, he would have thrown me out easily."

"I didn't even think it was possible to do that with someone other than a relative." It was something they had learnt from their childhood tutors.

Kaname visibly paused and didn't explain himself any further. He glanced up at the clock. "I know you have other questions but I need to go now. There is another thing I need to check up on."

"What's going to happen now?" Ruka asked.

"After Akatsuki wakes up and recovers," Kaname shrugged into his black coat. "I need you two to return to the Cross Academy."

_To protect Yuuki. _He didn't say it out loud but Ruka heard it loud and clear. She nodded in response.

Just before he left, Kaname stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder. "For what it's worth, I'm glad for you Ruka."

The door closed with a quiet click.

_What did that mean? _Alone with her thoughts, Ruka mulled over it. But she didn't know where to even begin.

Time passed and Akatsuki remained unconscious in her arms. Sitting seiza-style, Ruka's legs had gone numb a long time ago due to poor circulation. Her back was starting to ache from being in the same position for so long. She kept herself distracted by focusing on him. Those strands of red hair – they were sticking up in all directions as if they had a mind of their own yet when she touched them, they were incredibly soft. That earring in his left earlobe – Ruka couldn't help but smile when she saw it. It made him look like a gangster when in fact, he was the most laidback out of them all.

She was thinking back to the time when he had gotten his ear pierced when Akatsuki suddenly sighed, his warm breath blowing strands of her hair across her face. Ruka looked down. His eyes were still closed. But there was a degree of responsiveness that wasn't there before. He was frowning. And he began to move restlessly, shifting his legs, shrugging his shoulders.

"Akatsuki?" Alarmed that he might hurt himself, Ruka tightened her hold on him and tried to keep him still. "What's wrong?"

Akatsuki reached for his throat with one hand and tugged at his tie. But it only made it tighten around his neck, causing him to choke.

"Oh." Understanding washed over her. Ruka brushed away his hand, and reached up between their body to loosen his tie herself. As soon as she got it off, Akatsuki began to breathe much easier. But he still refused to lie still. For added measure, she unbuttoned the top of his shirt and untucked it from his waist. Only then did he stop moving and relax against her once more.

"You hooligan," she muffled her giggle against his shoulder. But then a flash of black caught her eyes. Curious, Ruka shifted him slightly to his side and brushed away the edge of Akatsuki's shirt. No, she definitely didn't imagine it. On his left side, just above his waistline, was a small tattoo. It was shaped like a crescent moon with flames flaring off of it. Intrigued, Ruka traced the pattern with her finger. Funny, she never knew.

"Ruka?" Akatsuki murmured against her left ear. His eyes were open, though still slightly unfocused. Blushing, Ruka quickly withdrew her hand.

"Are you okay?" She asked. Stupid question, of course he wasn't.

Akatsuki didn't answer her. Instead, he concentrated on getting up. Resting his weight on his hands, he lifted himself up from her and for a moment, just knelt there, on all fours. Looking up at his face, Ruka saw that his eyes were still blood red. He needed to feed and soon. She had some tablets in her pocket.

But just as soon as he got up, his arms collapsed underneath him. Startled, Ruka reached up to steady him. He leaned against her, his head back on her shoulder. "I..." he managed to say. "I..."

"It's okay," Ruka soothed him. She tried to stay calm, but worry was slowly setting in. Just how long had it been for him? There was a pang in her chest. She hated to see him like this. The strong dependable Akatsuki. He had always been there for her, through the good and the bad. But now that he needed help, there was nothing she could do.

But except for one thing.

"Akatsuki," she said, holding onto him. "You can... you know."

That seemed to surprise him. There was a definite pause, before a hesitant "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Ruka could feel her cheeks growing warm.

His thirst was evidently too great as he didn't ask twice. Ruka felt his lips brush against the base of her neck, followed by the tips of his fangs. She arched her neck. He opened his mouth. She felt him inhale. Then he sank his fangs in.

Dimly, Ruka was aware that he had bypassed her veins, instead opting for the carotid artery that lay deeper within. She placed a hand behind his head and held him, intuitively guiding him. One of his arms curled protectively over her waist and he rested his weight on the other arm. Always the gentleman, she thought wryly. His fangs sank in deeper, hit her artery, and she stopped thinking altogether.

And just felt.

He was gentle, unbelievably so. Despite his thirst, he didn't forcibly drain her blood out. Instead, he sipped slowly, letting the blood slide passively down his throat to the rhythm of her pulse. Ruka closed her eyes and gave in to the sensations. Each sip felt like a gentle tug on her very soul. It felt so good. She didn't know it _could_ feel this good. Sighing, she rested her head against his shoulder. A small part of her wished it would never end.

With one last sip, Akatsuki withdrew his fangs. Ruka whimpered in protest but did do anything else. She felt tired yet in a good way. She just wanted to sit here and close her eyes. Just for awhile. The wound on her neck was healing, but a small trickle of blood still managed to escape. He licked it away and she shivered at the touch.

Akatsuki leaned back and sat up. The loss of his warmth was startling that she almost felt cold. Ruka looked at him and saw, much to her relief, his eyes were back to their normal amber colour. He turned to sit down on the floor next to her. "Thank you," he said quietly. He leaned back against the back of the couch and stretched his long legs out in front of him.

Ruka shrugged. "You're welcome." She tried to copy him and shift her legs out from under her but the hours of sitting in one place had taken their toll out on her. She tried to sit up but her calf muscles cramped up. With a soft cry, she collapsed back down.

"You're hurt." Akatsuki's eyes immediately sharpened with alert. In the blink of an eye, he lifted her up off her knees and plopped her down next to him.

"No, I'm fine," she waved his worries away. "Just some cramps. Ow," she hissed when blood flow returned to her legs. "Pins and needles. But I'll be okay."

Yawning, she snuggled in next to him. It must be the blood loss, but he felt so warm. Before she even needed to ask, Akatsuki draped an arm over her shoulder and drew her in closer. Murmuring a quiet thanks, she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. It was nice to have someone who knew her so well.

"Go to sleep," he said quietly, his hand stroking up and down her arm. "We can talk tomorrow night."

Ruka sighed. Lulled by his warmth, his gentle touch and his soothing presence, she slipped under.

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><p>The smell of food woke her up.<p>

As she sat up on the sofa, Akatsuki's coat slid off her. He must have put her there after she fell asleep. But where was he?

"Ruka?"

Akatsuki emerged from the kitchen bearing a small tray of food. He placed it on the coffee table in front of her. A glass of orange juice. French toast. Bacon and Eggs.

"Oh." Something inside her did a somersault of delight when she saw it. She swung her feet over the couch and sat up straight.

"Nothing fancy," Akatsuki shrugged as he handed her the cutleries. "I've not a gourmet cook like you. But I figured you needed the vitamins and proteins."

"Thank you." A simple breakfast shouldn't have brought her that much joy but for some reason, it did.

Akatsuki sat down on the couch next to her. As she started eating, Ruka watched as he stared at his outstretched hands and the bracelets around his wrists.

"Hunters' handcuffs," Ruka felt compelled to explain. "They safeguarded us while we were at the headquarter but they also block our powers. We'll get them off once we get back to the Academy."

He nodded, his amber eyes solemn and grave.

"How much do you remember?" Ruka asked.

Akatsuki leaned back and thought about it. "Bits and pieces. Things were a bit of a blur. I remember turning up at the headquarter. But other than that..." He trailed off but then seemed to remember something. "Was Hanabusa there?"

"Yeah," Ruka smiled. "He was fine. Ordering me around the kitchen as usual. Oh, that reminds me."

On impulse, she reached inside her pocket and took out a piece of chocolate. Keeping it hidden inside her hand, she told him. "Open your mouth."

"What?" Akatsuki looked confused but he obeyed anyway.

She popped it in and watched His reaction. Hanabusa was wrong. He had to be. Ruka remembered back at the Academy – every February the 14th, the same thing happened. Valentine's Day. All the Day Class girls wanted to give their crush chocolates. It was so intense that the prefects had to set up gates for all the Night Class boys.

"_This is moronic," Shiki sighed._

_Akatsuki said to him as they strolled down the walkway. "Just do it anyway."_

_Shiki shrugged. But he reluctantly went to his assigned gate anyway. Ruka always had the sneaky suspicion that if he didn't, Takuma would have dragged him there by force. Underneath that smiling face of his was a real sadistic streak._

"_Are you going to join them?" Ruka asked mildly as she strolled through the mess. All the squealing and yelling was giving her a headache. "Didn't you and Hanabusa have a wager going on or something?"_

"_Why didn't Wild come over?" One girl cried out._

"_Yeah," another sulked. "We're the only ones who were ignored!"_

_Paying them no attention, Akatsuki shrugged. "Nah. Don't feel like it."_

"_Hm..." Ruka hummed but didn't say anything else. Silently, the two of them walked to class. _

_Behind them, they could hear Prefect Yuuki struggling to contain all Akatsuki's angry fans._

It was the same every year. Ruka was sure Akatsuki hated chocolate. It was just something she had accepted. And if nothing else, his presence during Valentine's Day always provided a nice distraction from watching Kaname-sama accept chocolates from those brainless girls.

But to her surprise, instead of grimacing at the taste, Akatsuki chewed thoughtfully into the chocolate. His amber eyes briefly darkened with pleasure as he swallowed. "Belgian chocolate?" He guessed.

"Oh." Ruka let out a breath. "So you do like chocolate. Hanabusa was right after all." Pushing her unfinished breakfast aside, she got to her feet and started to walk away.

"Woah, Ruka, wait! Did I do something wrong?" Akatsuki got up and followed her. He caught her hand just as she entered the kitchen and turned her around to face him. "Why are you so upset?"

Why was she so upset? Even Ruka wasn't sure why she was reacting so strongly. It was just a piece of chocolate. But in a way, it symbolized so much. He had always been there for her. He knew everything about her. But she didn't know anything about him. So she told him that.

"Don't be ridiculous," Akatsuki chuckled. "We've known each other for forever."

"No," Ruka shook her head. "Not really know you. I never got to _really_ know you."

That gave him pause.

"Do you want to?" Akatsuki asked, staring down at their joint hands.

"Yeah," Ruka looked up at him. He lifted his gaze and their eyes locked. "Yeah," she repeated. "I'd like that."

"Me too," his smile was crooked and unexpectedly sweet.

Funny. So much has happened already. And the future was so unclear. There was still so many unanswered questions and mysteries hidden behind doors that Ruka wasn't sure she wanted to open. Something was bound to give way but what? She wasn't sure. Yet as they stood there, in the kitchen, with entwined hands, she was content with the here and the now.

It almost didn't matter what tomorrow would bring.

Almost.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> What do you think? *cowers behind the desk with fear*

Witless Fool


	13. Chapter 13: Queen's Gambit Accepted

**Chapter Thirteen: Queen's Gambit Accepted**

On the outskirt of town, there stood a mansion. Built with white sandstones, it had a timeless feel to its design. It was luxurious yet not ostentatious. There were neither elaborate arching domes nor spiral towers. Instead, its lines were simple, its windows ornate and its surroundings were beautifully well-kept. By all appearances, it looked like a wonderful place to live in.

Yet there was just something about the mansion that made pedestrians hurry past its front gates with lowered heads. The residents in neighbouring properties (all built quite a long distance away, mind you) never saw anyone go in or out of the mansion. Was the property vacant? Abandoned? Or even haunted? No one knew for sure. And certainly no one dared to walk up and investigate. Instead, everybody simply kept their distance.

But had they looked out to the mansion that particular night, they would have seen someone walking up to the front gates. She had long flowing blonde hair that flowed down her back to the level of her waist and was wearing a long white fur coat. They would have speculated about her identity, admired her unnatural beauty, and wondered about the reason behind her visit at the dead of night.

Never in a million years would they have guessed what happened next.

She walked up to the gates, placed a hand on the black gothic-styled metal fence and it melted away underneath her fingers like butter. A small smile crept onto her face as she stepped around the puddle of melted metal and walked up to the front doors.

A maid opened the doors, her eyes widening with surprise. Recognizing the guest, she bowed low in respect. "Ah, welcome Sara-sama."

Sara smiled at the maid but there was no trace of friendliness on her face.

Flustered, the maid continued to speak. "Isaya-sama is upstairs in the library at the present. Would you like to wait in the drawing room? I can get tea prepared and notify Isaya-sa–"

She was stopped mid-sentence by a hand gripping her chin tightly. Sara continued smiling down at her. "Oh no, don't do that." Her grip tightened. "I saved this for last for a reason. Thank you for the information but you won't be needed any further." With the flick of the wrist, Sara sent the maid flying back. The maid crashed into the wall, her neck snapping in the collision and she disintegrated into a cloud of ash.

Calm, smooth and graceful as ever, Sara strolled up the stairs.

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><p>"Are you sure we should be going?"<p>

Looking up from his suitcase, Akatsuki found a frowning Ruka standing at the door. The two of them were at the present getting ready to leave for the Cross Academy. Kaname had left specific instructions for them to go back. Plus, Akatuski glanced down at the metal bracelets around his wrists, it's not like they had a choice.

"Yeah," he replied as he dumped more clothes into the suitcase.

Since Ruka had just come from the Hunter Association, her belongings were never unpacked. Akatsuki, on the other hand, had evidently spent quite a few days here. He didn't remember much of what happened after his altercation with Seiren. There were pieces and fragments that trickled through his consciousness. The dark leather interior of a limousine. The solid concrete steps underneath his feet. The restrictive feeling of a tie around his neck.

But it was the random pieces of memories that penetrated his mind that frightened him the most. In one, two massive hordes of ex-human vampires were moving towards each other. Their eyes were blank and their arms hanging loose by their sides. But as soon as they clashed in the middle of the green pasture, they lunged at each other. Each jab, each cut, each slash – they were transformed into mindless killing machines. No guns were needed – their body were the weapons. Within the space of ten minutes, the green pasture was covered in a thick sheet of ash.

In another memory, one horde of vampires was slowly advancing towards them. Akatsuki had glanced down to see himself clutching at the Bloody Rose. Around him, his comrades had similar weapons in their hands. _Bang! Bang! Bang!_ On cue, they took aim at the advancing enemies and fired without remorse.

There were other memories. Set in different times. They were wearing different clothes. But one thing remained constant. Hordes of vampires. Killing. And piles of ashes on the battlefield. Were all these simply figments of Kaname's imagination? Or were they memories from a time long gone? Akatsuki didn't know. But if it were the latter, then there was definitely more to Kaname than meets the eye. The possibilities were frightening.

"Akatsuki?"

Ruka's concerned voice brought him out of his thoughts. Funny, he thought as he looked up at her, he remembered hearing her voice while he was under. It was what finally woke him up. The journey up to consciousness was long, or at least it felt long. Did he do something while he was under? He wasn't sure but ever since he woke up, Ruka hasn't let him out of her sight. And that worried look hasn't left her face either.

Ruka was still speaking. "We don't have to go today. It's not like they set a deadline or anything. There's always tomorrow."

Akatsuki shrugged and turned his attention back to his suitcase. "I'm fine. And the sooner we get there, the better." He rubbed the bracelets on his wrists. They were cold. And heavy. He felt uneasy.

The sooner they get them off, the better.

* * *

><p>It was too late. <em>He<em> was too late. It was the story of his life.

As Kaname walked up the grand stairway with a heavy heart, he thought to himself – _it didn't have to come to this_. Maybe if they had taken a tougher stance at the start. Maybe if they had better educated their young. Maybe if they hadn't been spectators for so long.

_Maybe..._

He strode into the library located at the end of the hallway. Its double doors were blown completely off their hinges. But strangely, the rest of the room remained largely undisturbed. Hundreds, if not thousands, of books that have been carefully selected and bought over the past thousands of years, were all still in their rightful places on the shelves along the walls. All the furniture was still where they were the last time he had visited. Even the windows were untouched. Dying embers in the fireplace illuminated the room.

"Kaname," a soft voice whispered from somewhere in the dim room.

He didn't bother turning on the lights as he stepped into the room. His sharp eyes already picked out the shadowy form of Isaya Shoto. The pureblood was lying on his back on the fur rug in front of the fireplace. There was a blood stain on the front of his shirt and an even bigger pool of blood spreading out from his back. Yet despite his extensive blood loss, Isaya seemed to be calm and at peace.

"I'm sorry," Kaname knelt down beside his old friend. What else could he have said?

"Don't be," Isaya breathed out as he stared up at the ceiling. "If it wasn't for her, you would have had to do it yourself."

Kaname started to deny it but the words of objection died on his lips. It was the glaring truth. For everything to end, there had to be no going back. There was no alternative. In this war, not everyone deserved to die.

But die they must for this saga to come to an end.

"I'm sorry it had to come down to this," Kaname bowed his head in regret, his black bangs falling forward and covering his eyes. He reached down to take Isaya's hands. Underneath his palm, he could feel the cracks that were starting to form. He tightened his grip in comfort. "I'll be with you, till the end."

"Till the end," Isaya repeated. "Even now, it's hard to imagine there being an end for the likes of us." His gaze grew distant. "Kaname?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't you need to be somewhere else?" Isaya queried. A sliver appeared on his right cheek, like a cut.

Kaname hesitated.

"It's okay," Isaya smiled as he shifted his eyes to focus on Kaname. "Do you best."

With those final words, the pureblood lord that was once known as Isaya Shoto shattered into a million pieces of glass shards.

With shaking hands, Kaname stood up and turned his gaze to the window facing west.

It was about to start.

* * *

><p>It was a quiet night. The shops have all closed. The streets were empty. As Ruka and Akatsuki stepped out of the hotel, a black limousine rolled smoothly onto the curb. Akatsuki couldn't help but crack a small wry smile at that. Even at times like this, they still managed to travel in style.<p>

Such was the life of the nobles.

The driver came out to collect their luggage. Saying a quiet thank-you, Akatsuki quickly scanned the street as he stepped forward to open the door for Ruka. All was quiet. So far so good.

"Such a gentleman," Ruka shot him a twisted smile as she slid into the car.

Not sure how he was supposed to respond to that, Akatsuki climbed in after her. The driver closed the boot with a quiet click and soon, they were on their way.

As the limousine exited the outskirts of the city and rolled onto the long winding road through the forest to the next town, Akatsuki glanced over at his companion. Ruka was staring out the window with an unreadable expression on her face. What was she thinking? If he asked, would she tell him?

With a small shake, Akatsuki turned his gaze away.

"What are you thinking?"

Blinking, he turned back to find a pair of hazel eyes staring at him. Her gaze was direct, clear and bright. There was a hint of uncertainty in them yet at the same time, he could see determination. She had the same look on her face last night in the kitchen.

Thinking back to it, Akatsuki hesitated before asking the thing that had been plaguing his mind all day. "Did you mean what you said?"

Even under the dim illumination from the passing street lights outside, he could see that her cheeks had a tinge of pink to them. There was a definite pause as Ruka tried to formulate her reply. She could have played dumb and pretended not to know what he was referring to. But it was not in her nature to do so.

Akatsuki stayed silent and waited for her response. He had waited for her for almost all of his life. Even though he knew she would never look at him like the way he wanted to, he couldn't erase that small sliver of hope that continued to live inside his heart. And so he continued to wait. No matter what.

"Yeah," Ruka's voice was small. "I –" She broke off suddenly as the limousine swerved dangerously to the right, flinging her hard against the side of the car. Before either of them could react, the car swung sharply to the left, sending Ruka crashing hard into Akatsuki.

Grabbing a hold of Ruka and bracing himself against the door, Akatsuki looked up at the driver in alarm. What's going on? He wanted to ask.

But he never got the chance.

All of a sudden, the limousine lurched, almost as if it went crashing into an invisible brick wall. However, momentum prevented it from coming to an abrupt stand-still. It tipped forward, seemingly on a pivot and flipped over, and over and over, sending its occupants tumbling all around inside. Without thinking, he turned his body to shield hers.

There was nothing to grab onto. No time to react. All Akatsuki could do was pray that it would all end soon.

* * *

><p>In the darkened sky above, a cloud of bats could be seen flying overhead. They circled once, and having apparently discovered what they were looking for, descended en masse. Peculiarly, as they dropped in altitude, the bats began to cluster and dissolve into one another. Seemingly like fluid, one by one they joined together into a black aquatic mass. And just as it touched the solid ground, the mass became a man.<p>

Glancing up at the tree branch above him, Kaname managed a small, humourless smile. "Long time no see, Sara."

The branch appeared to be bare, save for one lone black spider hanging by the tip of a thread. But upon hearing Kaname's greeting, scores of spiders started to appear out of every crevice and crack of the tree trunk and clustered around their leader, dissolving and melding into one another. Together, they flowed into the tall graceful blonde vampires.

"Hello, Kaname," she smiled down at him from her perch up in the tree. "Why don't you come on up? It's about to start soon."

Kaname stayed silent as he continued to stare up at her.

"Now, now," her smile widened, revealing her blindingly white teeth. "The show's about to start. Or..." she mused. "Did you perhaps want to renege on our deal?"

Kaname shook his head as he jumped up to the branch where Sara was sitting. "I should just kill you right here and now and save myself all the trouble."

"You can," Sara agreed, seemingly unfazed by his threat. "But where's the fun in that? We've spent months preparing for this match. Why not see this through to the end? One last match."

"One last match," Kaname inclined his head in assent.

"Ah, and there come your pieces, right now," Sara pointed to the limousine that was cruising down the road towards them. Her charming smile never wavered. "Fire and illusion, very powerful indeed. But of course, how will they fare without them?" Clapping her hands, she slapped a powerful force against the vehicle, sending it careening down the empty road.

Kaname calmly watched on, his expression unreadable.

"And here comes mine," Sara inclined her head.

As the vehicle finally came to a standstill on its back, eight black jeeps came driving down the road, four on each end. They stopped a few hundred metres away from the wrecked car. Doors opened and vampires, all ex-human by the looks of them, stepped out. There must have been thirty of them, at least.

"This wasn't part of the deal," Kaname spoke up. With bracelets on, it should have been two on two. That was their original agreement.

"Wasn't it?" Sara sent him a sidelong glance, her smile full of innocence. "Oh well, they're here now. Might as well get the show started. Unless..." She trailed off.

"No," Kaname shook his head. "Let the match start."

He could only watch on.

* * *

><p>The vehicle finally came to a stop. It took Akatsuki a couple of moments to confirm that they weren't still tumbling head over heels. He could feel the weight of Ruka lying on top of him. He could taste blood – his own blood – in his mouth. His ears were still ringing from the screeches emitted as metal scraped along the tarmac. Reminding himself how to breathe, Akatsuki opened his eyes and found himself staring up at the leather seats of the limousine.<p>

As the ringing in his ears slowly subsided, there was only silence.

Ruka groaned as she pushed herself up off his chest. Brushing her long hair out of her face, she looked around. There was a cut on her cheek but it was slowly healing. "What happened?"

Akatuski sat up as well. The vehicle had ended up on its back. So they were technically lying on the ceiling of the limousine. All the windows were shattered. One of the doors was completely bent in. And through the divider between the back and the front of the car, Akatsuki could see that the driver didn't make it through the crash. His body was hanging lifelessly from the driver's seat by the seat belt, his neck at an unnatural angle.

Turning his gaze away from the morbid scene, Akatsuki grabbed Ruka's arm. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Kicking the door open with his leg, Akatsuki crawled out of the vehicle. Straightening up, he held out a hand as Ruka crawled out after him and helped her up onto her feet. She didn't thank him but shot him a wry look.

"Now's not the time to be a gentleman," Ruka told him.

Akatsuki shrugged sheepishly. Old habits die hard. Then he stiffened. "We've got company."

Ex-human vampires. All around them. From a quick scan, Akatsuki estimated that there were thirty-four or so of them altogether. They were all carrying various weapons: knives, swords, maces. Some of them were even holding firearms. They seemed to be waiting for something. A signal perhaps?

Then, without thinking –

"Get down!" Akatuski shouted as he grabbed Ruka and dove for the ground. Bullets peppered the silence, drilling holes into the side of the vehicle where they had stood just a moment ago.

"You okay?" Akatsuki asked Ruka as he scanned around for their enemies. Broken windows on both sides of the vehicle afforded him a clear view of the enemies' feet as they strode closer towards them. From their gait, he could tell they were confident of their own advantage. And why wouldn't they be? They had the element of surprise, the power in numbers as well as the weapons. Gritting his teeth, Akatsuki tried to see a way through this.

"Stay low," he told Ruka quietly. "You'll get hurt."

"No."

"Ruka," Akatsuki started to object.

"No," Ruka repeated, her eyes lit up with determination. "This isn't like school. We don't have the powers to easily defeat them. If we want to get out of this alive, we need to work together."

Akatuski fell silent at that.

"We're in this together," Ruka told him as she reached down to touch his hand. He stared down at their joint hands for a few moments.

Together.

It had a nice ring to it.

* * *

><p>The fighting had commenced. Their vantage point up in the tree gave them a clear overhead view of the battle scene. A couple of vampires carrying firearms had separated from the main group and, confident in their powers, walked up to the vehicle.<p>

Their confidence was their downfall.

In the blink of an eye, Akatsuki vaulted over the top of the limousine. Before any of the vampires could react, he slid across to their side of the vehicle and dropped to the ground. Grabbing a hold of one of the vampires, Akatsuki yanked him down on top of him and used him as a human shield. Bang! Another vampire aimed and fired without mercy, reducing his former comrade to a pile of ashes.

And it was all the opening Akatsuki needed.

With one arm, he reached out for the dead vampire's rifle, gripped it and fired up at them. One! Two! Three!

"Impressive," Sara drawled as she watched her pieces shatter into clouds of ashes. "That's a very impressive piece you've got there, Kaname."

Her companion didn't even bother responding. What her side lacked in skills, they certainly made up for it with their sheer number. With an impassive face, Kaname scanned the battle scene. Seeing their first few numbers defeated, the rest of the group became a little more cautious. They had taken refuge behind their cars and have apparently decided to split off into several smaller groups.

Looking over at his side of the field, he could see that Akatsuki had gathered up all the firearms and threw a couple of rifles over to Ruka. They were still terribly outnumbered. But now that they had weapons, the playing fields was slightly less skewed against them.

A lone vampire decided to look over the side of the jeep. Reacting purely on instinct, Ruka lifted up her rifle and fired. The vampire dived for cover but he wasn't quick enough, the bullet took out his right shoulder. With a strangled scream, he collapsed onto the ground. A second bullet to the forehead took him out.

"Nice aim," Sara commented as she tucked her hands into the warm pockets of her white fur coat. She seemed completely unfazed at the demise of her soldiers. "The daughter of Souen. Hm... doesn't she have an unrequited crush on you?"

She glanced over to Kaname, who remained silent, and laughed. "Of course," she drawled. "Kaname had always only had eyes on one person. Poor girl, to love someone who she knew would never so much as look her way. If she's to survive this, I must go and have a heart-to-heart talk with her. Girls like her are..." she searched for the right word, "so useful."

As if to prove her words right, Ruka, down on the road, took out another two vampires with her rifle. When her finger pulled against an empty trigger, she grunted in disgust and threw the rifle away and reached over for another firearm. Akatsuki was in a similar position as he emptied his gun on three enemies who were stupid enough to leave the sanctuary of their vehicular cover. The pair was running low on ammunition.

And their enemies knew it too.

The battle was about to come to an end.

* * *

><p>Their strategy was simple: attack or be attacked. Akatsuki's narrowed gaze was chillingly devoid of all emotions as he scanned their vicinity. There were at least twenty or so still remaining.<p>

"How many bullets do you have left?" Akatsuki asked Ruka behind him, his eyes trained firmly on the black jeeps in front of him.

"Another round, maybe. Two, at the most." Ruka's voice sounded doubtful.

Damn. Right now, their enemies were laying low but as soon as their shooting stops, they were going to come crawling out. Akatuski made a snap decision.

"Cover me," Akatsuki ordered as he strode forward.

"What? Are you nuts?" Ruka asked. He didn't need to turn around to see the incredulous expression on her face. "Wait a –"

"Cover me!" There was no time to explain. Akatsuki charged forward. A moment later, he heard the bullets flying past him from behind. Bang! Bang! Bang!

Then, silence.

Akatsuki ran forward, covering the last few hundred metres in those three or so seconds. Reaching the first jeep, he took a powerful leap up to its roof. One of the vampires hiding behind it looked up at him in surprise. Before they had time to react, Akatuski reached down and grabbed his arm, yanking him up by the scruff of his neck. With his other arm, he wrested the sword out of the vampire's hand. Dodging a dagger, he blocked another with the sword through a quick twist of his wrist.

Jumping down, he drove the sword through the heart of one. The vampire exploded into a pile of ashes. Without hesitation, Akatsuki whirled around to decapitate another. There was no time to plan. No time to think about the consequences. All he knew was he had to kill. And keep on killing.

Behind the relative safety of the overturned limousine, Ruka could only watch on as Akatsuki disappeared from view. She dropped the empty rifle she held in her hands as she vaulted across the limousine. Akatsuki was always protecting her. But damnit, she wasn't going to let him play the hero this time.

She didn't want to be a burden anymore.

Jumping into the fray, Ruka sidestepped as a vampire came charging towards her. She grabbed his arm and spun him around, using his momentum to drive his sword into his own chest. As he crumbled away into dust, Ruka grabbed the sword and stabbed another oncoming enemy.

"Ruka!" Akatsuki just noticed her. A wealth of emotions rushed into his body. Shock. Fury. And an overwhelming sense of fear. He cursed as he started to fight his way towards her.

"I'm fine," Ruka snapped back as she slammed the sword into one vampire and ducked as another one swiped at her head with a whip. Dancing back, she reached up and grabbed the whip with her left hand, hissing with pain as the tip cut into her skin. The scent of her blood wafted into the air. Every vampire paused, their heads swivelled towards her.

Akatsuki cursed even louder.

* * *

><p>With the bracelets around their wrists, Akatsuki and Ruka were essentially reduced down to useless pawns. Yet their upbringing certainly shone through, Kaname noted as the pair below continued to fight against the onslaught. Having finally reached Ruka, Akatsuki pushed her protectively behind him.<p>

There were still twelve vampires left to kill. As their number dwindled, they became more and more wary of their opponents. However, the scent of blood had spurred them on.

But a flash of red caught Kaname's eyes. Akatsuki's eyes, normally a lazy shade of amber, were now bright red. Bloodlust?

_Interesting..._

In a blur of motion, Akatsuki flew into action. With one slash of the sword, he executed two enemies. Their dusts didn't even have time to settle to the floor before Akatsuki did away with another three. A blink of an eye later, he decapitated one before swinging the sword around into another's chest.

The end of the battle came swiftly and violently.

"Interesting," Sara mused as she watched her small troop annihilated. "I must congratulate you on your victory, Kaname."

"No need," Kaname replied, his eyes still trained on the couple down on the ground. Akatsuki was sitting down on the ground, his head slumped forward in visible exhaustion. Ruka was still standing. But she was bent forward with both hands on her knees for support. The wound on her left hand was still bleeding profusely.

Kaname forced his gaze up to the woman sitting on the branch beside him. "You've only lost one of your pawns." He reminded her. "There are plenty more where they came from. Besides, you've got the advantage of home turf for our battle ahead. So in reality, I should be the one congratulating you."

Sara laughed quietly. "Seventy-two hours, Kaname. And we'll do this all over again."

"We will." He agreed.

"You are a man of your word," Sara decided as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "That's what I had always liked about you. You know, there was a time when I would have settled for you to be my king. But no longer. I intend to rule alone."

With one final brilliant smile, the edges of her form started to blur as she started to disintegrate into countless small spiders.

Kaname looked up at the darken sky above. He thought briefly about going down to survey the damage but an oncoming flash of light in the distant horizon indicated help was on its way. _They will be fine_, he decided as he transformed back into a pack of bats and took off into the sky.

* * *

><p>Akatsuki was still collapsed on the ground. He hadn't moved since the end of the fight. His head was lowered, shielding his eyes from her. Ruka wasn't sure what was wrong with him.<p>

"Are you okay?" Ruka asked as she knelt down next to him. But when she raised a hand to touch him, he drew away. Trembling, she lowered her hand, her fingers curled together tightly into a fist. Staring down at it, Ruka fought hard to keep her composure. What was this strange feeling in her chest?

"Ruka?" Akatsuki's quiet voice startled her out of her contemplation.

Blinking, she felt something wet splash onto the back of her hand. It was only when Akatsuki brushed a gentle hand against her cheek that Ruka realized she was crying.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

That broke her.

She hurled herself into his arms and latched onto him, sobbing. She didn't even know why she was crying anymore. She felt Akatsuki flinch in response, but that only made her hold onto him even harder. She didn't care if he didn't want her. _For now, just comfort me..._

"Ruka," he gasped. "You have to get away from me."

"Why?" She demanded. Leaning back, she looked up at him and it was only then she noticed the bloodlust in his eyes. "Oh."

"Yeah," Akatsuki rubbed a shaky hand over his face, covering up his eyes. "Until..." he struggled for words. "Until your wound heals up, it's best if you..."

Ruka stared down at her cut hand. It was slowly healing up but blood was still bleeding heavily. Without thinking twice, she raised her hand and offered it to him.

Akatsuki's face contorted, as if in pain. "Ruka," he said quietly. "Don't..."

"Is there something wrong with me?" She asked out loud.

"No!" His denial was vehement.

"Then why?"

They stared at each other. It was only then that Ruka realized Akatsuki was simply being who he had always been – a gentleman. Maybe there was still a glimmer of hope. Mustering a small smile, Ruka raised her hand once more.

He reached out for it, hesitantly, and brought it to his mouth. Entranced, Ruka stared as he dipped his head and tended to her wound. She felt rather than saw him lapping gently at her open cut, drawing away the blood that had bled out while healing her wound at the same time. He was so gentle. It did odd things to her heart.

But before she could dwell on it any further, a beam of bright light nearly blinded them. Akatsuki jerked away from her wound and tucked her away behind him. It was a police van. Akatsuki forced his heart rate to slow down to a normal rhythm as a familiar white-haired vampire hunter jumped down from the vehicle.

"You're late," Akatsuki commented as Zero cast an eye over the pile of ashes that lay around them.

Zero shrugged. "We ran into a bunch of vampires just a bit further up the road." He sniffed the air. "You hurt?"

Akatsuki shook his head, gesturing at Ruka.

Zero stared at them for a long, telling moment. Shaking his head, he jerked a hand towards the van. "Come on," he said. "Let's get you back to the Academy."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> For those who are confused by the title, it's an opening chess move by the white's side. The black side, after accepting the gambit and taking the offered pawn, surrenders the centre of the board to the white side. So now the white essentially has the advantage. Given what has just happened (and what's about to happen), I thought it was a rather appropriate title for this chapter.

Witless Fool

P.S. I won't bore you with the details of why this chapter is a month late. That's a long story in itself. But for those who are interested, I've posted it up on my profile page.


	14. Chapter 14: Belladonna

**Chapter Fourteen: Belladonna  
><strong>

Ruka had hoped that once they had returned to the Cross Academy, everything will return to normal. They would get the handcuffs removed, settle into the daily school life inside the Academy and pretend that everything will all be okay. There would be no more worries about the impending apocalypse outside. The war of the purebloods would be something that the adults could deal with. Within the safety of the walls of the school, all they would need to worry about was keeping themselves entertained while maintaining their secret identities from the Day Class students.

Funny, she never would have thought that there would come a time when she would actually miss the screaming Day Class girls.

However, arriving back at Cross Academy didn't solve any of their problems, it merely compounded them. The newly reformed Night Class was a sad mockery of its former self. Only a handful of the original Night Class students returned, namely those who remained loyal to the Kuran clan despite facing an overwhelming amount of evidence regarding their "betrayal." The rest stayed away, unwilling to risk the possibility of receiving the same fate that Kaname-sama dealt out to Aidou-dono. Most of the new student enrolled because they heard that a pureblood was having trouble. They probably only came along for the entertainment.

They could easily be straightened out.

If only everything was that simple. Not all of the new students could be easily handled. Sara-sama had apparently taken up residence in the Moon Dormitory. And she had brought along with her a whole following of young girls from a nearby college. En masse, they had laid claim to the East Wing of the Moon Dormitory and was always ensconced inside, seemingly in their own world.

Ruka's own luggage was all placed in the suite that she shared with Rima. Lying prostrate on her bed, the younger girl had languidly raised a hand in greeting when Ruka had walked through the door. Regardless of how long it's been since they've seen each other, Ruka knew a wave was about the most she would ever get from Rima. That girl had always preferred to conserve as much energy as she could.

Everybody else's sleeping arrangements had remained the same. Upon arrival, Akatsuki had disappeared into the room he shared with their cousin Hanabusa and had yet to reappear. No doubt, the two of them had a lot of things to catch up on. Shiki was still sleeping in the room next to theirs. However, he was alone. Sara-sama had apparently requested Takuma to be moved into her wing of the dormitory. Ruka had, briefly, wondered if Shiki had moved into the larger of the two bedrooms in their suite. Probably not. He, along with Rima, respected Takuma too much to do that.

As for the bedroom down the end of the corridor, well, its occupant was Ruka's present and perhaps her biggest problem.

"Yuuki-sama," Ruka tried to be as respectful as she could. But it was difficult when she was practically talking to a wall. "You've got to talk to those new students. Election is coming up tomorrow and do you really think sitting in your room is going to gain you votes?"

The young pureblood princess was, at the present, curled up on the window seat and hiding behind the heavy curtains from the rays of sunlight. At first, it appeared as if she had not heard her words. But after a few moments, she turned her gaze away from the windows. She visibly forced a cheerful smile onto her face. "It should be fine. I've got the support of all my friends."

_Was she really that naive?_ Ruka wondered as she scrutinized the black-haired princess in front of her. Ruka could probably count the number of allies they had with one hand. It was no secret Sara-sama was interested in taking over as the Class President. But why she wanted the job and what she intended to do with it were complete mysteries. Her dolls – as that was what Ruka thought of them – were obviously on her side, so was Ichijou probably. As for the rest, well, they were complete wildcards.

It was Ruka's intention to convert them.

She walked up to Yuuki and peered over her shoulder. It was early in the morning and already, there were scores of Day Class students crowded around the front gates of the Moon Dormitory. They were not alone. Standing at the front of the group and metaphorically holding the fort was a familiar figure. That spiky white hair. The prefect band over his left sleeve. With his arms crossed in front of his chest, Ruka could sense his exasperation all the way from where she was standing on the second floor.

It was only then she noticed something was amiss about Yuuki. Her scent... it was slightly different. The change was subtle, which was why Ruka had only noticed it at such close proximity. She thought about it but couldn't quite figure out what was wrong. Frowning, Ruka shrugged the problem away.

There were bigger problems at hand.

"We're going on a trip," Ruka decided as she strode across the room to the wardrobe.

"Huh?"

"Shopping trip," Ruka repeated, making up her mind as she shifted through Yuuki's closet. "We'll invite all the girls and go into town." _Well_, she thought about it, _maybe not Sara-sama and her dolls_. "You need to take charge and show them you're a pureblood monarch."

"You think a shopping trip will work?" There was no mistaking the doubt in Yuuki's voice.

"Of course," Ruka replied as she pulled out Yuuki's white winter coat. Yuuki's wardrobe had improved a lot over the past couple of years. Ruka could still remember the shirts and shorts Yuuki had brought with her to the Kuran mansion over a year ago. Tackling her clothes was the first hurdle in Ruka's attempt to teach Yuuki etiquette.

"Why can't I just make a speech or something?"

"Because purebloods don't do things like that," Ruka explained as she turned around and handed the coat over to Yuuki. _Seriously, did Hanabusa teacher her nothing over the past year?_ "Trust me, it's all about performances and mind games. Balls. Shopping trips. Formal dinners. That's how nobles do things."

Yuuki mulled it over in her head. Ruka could see she was still not completely sold on the idea.

"Trust me" Ruka repeated. "I'll go and get the other girls."

"Why only the girls?" Yuuki wanted to know.

"Cause the guys will naturally follow." Ruka shook her head as she turned and headed for the doors. There was still so much to teach Yuuki.

"Ruka-san?"

Ruka stopped at the door. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the serious look on Yuuki's face.

"Thank you for all your help. These last few months... it must have been hard on you too."

It was the genuine kindness in her voice that almost undid Ruka. Has it really only been a few months since Akatsuki and her sat on that balcony of the cafe? Strange, it felt like a lifetime ago. So much has happened. So much has changed.

"I'm fine," Ruka said. _Was she really?_ She's been bottling up all her thoughts and pushing them to the far corner of her mind. As long as she remained busy, she didn't have to think. Perhaps that was why she took such a great interest in helping Yuuki-sama out with her control over the Night Class. Performances and mind games. At least she was good at it.

Facing her feelings and acting out on them – that was a different story entirely.

"I'm fine," she repeated. But who was she saying it to? Yuuki? Or herself? Brushing away that thought, she focused her attention on the task ahead. "I'll go get the girls."

* * *

><p>Reunions were always heart-warming, even when it was with a blonde cousin who rarely took anything seriously. Hanabusa might be a genius when it comes to textbooks, but he always seemed to treat everything in life like a big practical joke. Akatsuki worried about him. Constantly.<p>

But it was a huge relief to see that Hanabusa was still his normal cheerful self.

Walking into their shared suite brought back nostalgic memories. Some things haven't changed. The furniture, the draperies, the paintings and plants. And Hanabusa still took the four-poster bed right at the end. He claimed that it was the further of the two beds from the front gates, where dozens of screaming fan girls flocked to every morning.

"Don't they know I need my sleep," he would always grumble as he threw a pillow on top of his head, hoping that it would muffle out the sounds from the outside.

But it was clear to Akatsuki that some things had changed, most marked of which was the neatness of Hanabusa's side of the room. It took him by surprise when he first entered the room. All the random junk and "souvenirs" that Hanabusa had collected over the years were gone. There were no more shattered light bulbs, bent spoons or broken chairs and tables. Without the clutter, their room now looked surprisingly barren.

It was a pleasant change. But it signified something much more than just his cousin's improved orderliness. Akatsuki wanted to ask but decided it was probably best for him to leave it alone. Hanabusa would tell him when he was good and ready.

"How have you been?"

Akatsuki lifted his head off his bed at that question. He thought about it. The last time they had met was at Yuuki-sama's coming-out ball. So much had happened since then. The world, as they knew it, was heading on a one-way ticket to hell. Akatsuki didn't know what Kaname-sama was planning, but he did know that it would be something that would be forever irreversible.

"It's been awhile hasn't it?" He spoke up finally.

Hanabusa shot him a strange look. "We met two days ago."

Akatsuki blinked. _Did they?_

"Hunter Headquarters? That Kaito guy was leading you off to be interrogated?"

He didn't remember any of that. But it was best not to let Hanabusa know. He didn't want to worry him. So he settled the conversation with a noncommittal shrug.

"And how's Ruka?" Hanabusa shot him a sidelong glance.

That question threw him. "Fine, I guess. Why do you ask?"

"She's the reason you're different." The look Hanabusa gave him contained a heavy dose of pity.

_Was he? Was he really?_ Akatsuki laid his head back down on the pillow and thought about it. He hadn't felt quite the same since his return onto the Mainland. But being possessed by a pureblood lord and suffering from blood-lust for days would do that to a person. For some reason, he didn't think that was what his cousin was referring to. As for Ruka. He didn't know what to say.

"Akatsuki," Hanbusa spoke up, drawing him out of his train of thought. The blonde vampire stood up from his bed and walked towards the window. "We've known each other ever since we were, what, three years old?"

Looking up at the ceiling, Akatsuki crossed his hands behind his head and replied in the affirmative.

"And you've been in love with her ever since then," Hanabusa continued.

_Well..._

"And I've never said a word about it to anyone in the past sixteen years. Not to anyone, especially not her. Do you know how hard it was for me to keep quiet all these years?"

"But," Akatsuki sat up and looked at his cousin. Hanabusa had managed to trick a confession out of Akatsuki back when they were little. Fearing for the worst, Akatsuki had spent the next couple of months living with the constant fear that Ruka would find out. Yet surprisingly, Hanabusa, considered by all who knew him to be a blabbermouth, never told anyone. Akatsuki had always put that down to his secret was not interesting enough for Hanabusa to spill.

That, or his threat of burning his cousin into a fried crisp.

"I kept quiet because I thought I would be the first one you would talk to when something important happens," Hanabusa turned around and scowled at him, full of self-righteous indignation. "So how come you didn't tell me you and Ruka have gotten together."

"Wait, what?" Akatsuki straightened up and put up his hands in automatic denial. "What are you talking about? We haven't gotten together."

"Oh please," Hanabusa rolled his blue eyes in exasperation. "You practically reeks with the smell of her blood."

"Huh?" Akatsuki dropped his hands. "Oh that." He hadn't thought about it until now. But now that he did, it made sense. He took quite a lot from her two days ago when he first woke up. Her blood was still swirling inside his body. No wonder Zero had thought he was the one who was hurt last night when in fact, it was the scent of Ruka's blood in the air.

"That?" Hanabusa raised one eybrow.

He shrugged his shoulders. "It's..." Even now, Akatsuki hesitated. "It's complicated."

"Don't tell me," Hanabusa's eyes comically widened with horror. "You bit her without her consent."

Then, without giving Akatsuki any time to explain, Hanabusa launched into one of his famous tirades. "I thought you had more control than that! It was the only reason I let you two go off on missions by yourselves. I always thought that Akatsuki, he's dependable. He won't do anything weird. I don't need to chaperone them. Oh man, how am I going to explain this to her parents? They're going to flip. And you know who's going to get in trouble. Me! When it's –"

"It's nothing like that," Akatsuki growled, cutting his cousin off. "I was ... hurt and needed blood. She offered."

They were interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Hanabusa called out.

The door creaked open, revealing the visitor to be the very topic of their previous discussion. Ruka had changed into the familiar white Night Class uniform. Classes didn't start till early in the evening. So why was she dressed up already?

Without waiting for a greeting, Ruka strode into the room and announced. "All the girls are going shopping."

"Okay," Hanabusa shrugged. "Have fun."

"You two are coming," Ruka put her hands on her hips and glared at Hanabusa.

He snorted. "To carry all your shopping bags? No thanks. I'll pass."

"It's not just a shopping trip, you idiot," Ruka argued. "Have you given any thought to how Yuuki-sama's going to win the election in three days' time?"

"You think a shopping trip's going to get her votes?" Hanabusa's voice was full of scepticism. "You're an idiot."

"We'll come," Akatsuki spoke up, effectively ending the argument.

Hanabusa shot him a look of abject horror while Ruka sent him a relieved smile.

"Thanks," she said softly. Shooting another withering glare at Hanabusa, she turned around and headed for the door. "I'm going to go and talk to Zero about it, see if he'll let Yuuki-sama leave the school grounds." With those words, she left the room.

The door closed behind her with a quiet click, enveloping the room in silence. Hanabusa shot him a knowing glance. If Akatsuki was a blushing man, and he wasn't, his whole face would have turned rosy red.

"Shopping trip?" Hanabusa asked.

He shrugged. "It might just work. The girls would be easily swayed and who knows, some of the guys might follow."

"Yeah, guys who are whipped like you," Hanabusa rolled his eyes as he went to his closet to get out his uniform. "You still can't say no to her, huh? That much hasn't changed."

Akatsuki decided it was best not to dignify that with a response. Sighing, he laid back down onto the bed. It was true. He had never said no to her. But why was that? For all her plans in the past, of which there were quite a few, Akatsuki had always agreed to accompany her. Even in those she hadn't informed him of, he had tagged along, silently watching out for her. Like that first night at Cross Academy so many years ago. And the night when Takuma's grandfather had visited.

"But she seemed to have changed," his cousin's voice drifted across the room.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, sure, she's as obnoxious and idiotic as always," Hanabusa shrugged as he neatly buttoned up his freshly-ironed black shirt. "But she's changed. She seems..." Hanabusa searched for the right words. "I don't know, more attuned to you. So exactly what is going on between you two?"

"I don't know." And that, Akatsuki realized, was the honest God forsaken truth.

What exactly were they?

* * *

><p>"Now remember," Ruka said as she straightened Yuuki's hair for the umpteenth time. "It's all about conveying authority. Be graceful and calm. Given orders instead of asking for permission. You are the one in charge, got it?"<p>

Yuuki batted Ruka's hands away. "I'm fine," she laughed as she jumped up from her seat by the dressing table – a move that made Ruka wince. "It's just a shopping trip. What could possibly go wrong?"

_Well, a lot of things_, Ruka thought as she walked leisurely down a crowded street behind Yuuki. But thankfully, the trip was a success. After being cooped up in the academy for so long, the girls were thrilled with a shopping trip into town. The guys were reluctant, to say the least, but even they seemed visibly relieved with being out of the school grounds. They all seemed impressed with Yuuki-sama's ability to secure them this rare day out.

Even if, Ruka glanced over her shoulder, a certain white-haired hunter had to accompany them.

Zero had not been amused when Ruka had first suggested her proposed plan. He initially refused to even consider it. But he eventually relented when she pointed out the possibility of Sara-sama winning the upcoming election. He agreed to an outing but under the condition that he kept watch.

Which suited Ruka's plan just fine. She smirked as she glanced down at the shopping bags Zero were carrying in his hands. Initially, she had planned on getting Hanabusa to carry Yuuki's purchases. The Aidou clan was, after all, still the most high-ranked amongst the nobles. However, with Zero around, why not use him instead? Having the future President of the Vampire Hunter Association carrying Yuuki's bags went a long way towards cementing the Night Class students' respect for their pureblood princess.

"Things seem to be going well," Hanabusa spoke up as they stopped to browse one of the stores.

Ruka inclined her head in assent. "And who was the idiot who said this was a stupid idea?"

"Fine, fine," Hanabusa threw up his hands in mock surrender. "But seriously, haven't we done enough shopping for one day?"

Ruka looked down at his empty hands. "Why are you complaining? You aren't even carrying anything. Speaking of which," she glanced around. "Where is all the stuff I handed to you?"

"Akatsuki's got them," Hanabusa shrugged as he tucked his hands into his pockets. Ruka looked over his shoulder and spotted the red-haired vampire. He was standing by one of the stalls down the street, waiting patiently for the store owner to wrap up Ruka's purchases. His hair was as untamed as ever. His shirt was untucked. And underneath his blazer, he wasn't wearing a vest or tie. Yet as messy as he seemed, Ruka thought he was the best-looking thing along the whole street.

Looking at him, Ruka felt something flutter in her chest. Ignoring the strange feeling, she forced her eyes away.

"Hey!" Yuuki was up ahead, waving at them. "There's a flower shop here. Let's duck in for a second."

"Something on your mind?" Hanabusa asked as they turned away from the shop and walked up to where Yuuki was. "Or should I say, someone?"

Ruka glanced up at him. "How did you know?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm a genius?"

"Yeah, right," Ruka snorted as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "You have the emotional capacity of a five-year old."

"Hey!" Hanabusa scowled in indignation. "You have feelings for him. I know I'm right."

Ruka fell silent as she stared down at the pebbled street they were walking on. She did, didn't she? Since when did she start feeling this way? Or perhaps the feelings were always there, ever since they were little. And she had simply forgotten about them. Now that they have resurfaced, what was she to do?

"Oh jeez," Hanabusa grumbled beside her as he pulled open the door to the flower shop for her. "You are hopeless."

Maybe she was.

Fragrant scents enveloped and embraced her as she entered the flower shop. Ruka immediately felt better as she glanced around at the flowers on display. Lillies. Daffodils. Petunias. Orchids. She glanced around and saw most of the Night Class girls were flocked around the roses. Of course. Vampries were all quite partial towards roses.

Ruka forced herself to walk away from the roses on display. She weaved her way further into the store and then, suddenly, a flash of red caught her eyes. Glancing over, she saw a bouquet of bright red flowers lined up against the wall. Upon closer inspection, she realized she was mistaken. They weren't completely red. The petals of the exotic funnel-shaped flower were orange around the centre. The colour slowly changed its hue until they were a dark crimson red near the petal tips. The difference in shades made the bouquet look like it was on fire.

Fire flowers, Ruka thought as she reached down to touch one of them. She expected to be burnt but instead, the petals were silky. It was almost like touching velvet. Smiling, Ruka leant down to take in their sweet scent.

"Ruka?"

Jerking upright, she turned around to find Rima standing behind her. "You ready to go?" Rima asked. "Mr Prefect is getting impatient. Besides, classes are about to start soon."

"Yeah, I'm ready," she replied as she smoothed a hand down her hair.

"Are you going to get anything?" Rima asked as they made their way to the front of the shop. "You always buy some roses whenever we come into town."

"Not today," Ruka said. All vampires were quite partial to roses. She was too. Or at least, she used to be. _But now..._

She glanced over the roses on display and saw Yuuki was still standing over there, lingering over the white roses. Zero was leaning against the wall behind her. It was then that it hit her. The reason behind the change in Yuuki's scent. Looking away, she suddenly felt uneasy all of a sudden.

"Ruka?" Looking up, her eyes met a pair of concerned amber eyes. "Are you alright?"

Strange, Akatsuki always seemed to be there when she needed him.

"Just fine." Somehow, she managed to stretch her lips up into something that resembles a smile. "Let's go. I think I'm ready to call it a day."

"I would offer to open the door but..." Akatsuki shrugged sheepishly. Glancing down, Ruka saw his hands were loaded down with dozens of shopping bags. All hers, of course. She fought the urge to smile.

On impulse, Ruka grabbed onto one of his arms. He jumped in surprise but didn't flinch away. Holding on, Ruka started dragging him to the door. "Let's go back."

* * *

><p>The trip out might have been a success. But the classes that night was a complete failure. It seemed even a whole year of tutoring from the genius child prodigy that was Hanabusa Aidou could not bring Yuuki up to speed. Three times that night, the young princess made embarrassing mistakes in front of the whole class. What probably made it worse was the fact that their teacher wasn't even directing the questions at her - Yuuki simply couldn't resist putting a metaphorical foot in her mouth. Falling asleep in the middle of the class also wasn't such a great idea. Just thinking back on it made Ruka cringe. If only she had been given a couple of more days to help Yuuki, Ruka would have used it well. But it was what it was.<p>

Nobody said anything - they were all too well mannered to openly laugh at a pureblood. But Ruka could see the expertly concealed mirth dancing in their eyes.

Sara-sama, on the other hand, was a poster-perfect example of a model student. And her dolls, of course, were quite open about their admiration of her. Having the sole member of the Ichijou clan at her ever beck and call also reinforced her authority. Things weren't going well and Ruka seemed to be the only one concerned about it. Which in turn made her wonder why she cared so much.

"You coming?"

Ruka looked up to find Akatsuki standing in front of her desk with his hands neatly tucked into his pant pockets. Lessons were over for another night. And soon, the sun will be rising over the horizon. The rest of the class had already left the room for the dorms. Sighing, Ruka gathered up her books and stood up from the desk. Together, the two of them walked out of the room.

"Where's Hanabusa?" Ruka asked as they walked down the corridor and out into the school ground.

Akatsuki shrugged. "Officially, he's out patrolling."

"And unofficially?" Ruka raised an eyebrow. Whenever there was something Akatsuki knew he shouldn't be saying, he would always cover it up under the term "officially." And come on, it's Hanabusa they were talking about here.

He shrugged again. "Spying," he admitted. "The hunters seem to be quite agitated by the recent rise in vampire attacks. And after what happened last night," he trailed off and fell silent. Yeah. Thirty-odd vampires. Ambush. Something was definitely going on out there. "Anyway," he continued quietly as they neared the dormitory. "Tomorrow's the election. What do you think will happen?"

"It's not looking good," Ruka assessed the situation bluntly. "I don't think we'll get enough votes. There's no secret how the residents of the East Wing are going to vote. As for the rest, they are complete wildcards. I just can't predict..." Ruka slowed down her steps as they crossed the guarded gates of the Moon Dormitory and stopped by the front steps. "I'm sorry."

Akatsuki stopped too. "What for?" There was mild surprise in his voice.

How should she word it? "Today. The whole trip thing. It was all a mistake. A waste of time. Maybe I should have taught Yuuki-sama more etiquette. Maybe Hanabusa should have tutored her a bit more. Maybe –"

"Stop, Ruka," Akatsuki interrupted her with a hand on her shoulder. "There's nothing to be sorry about."

He was always saying those words to her, Ruka thought with a pang in her chest. It didn't even matter if she was at fault – and she was. Ruka knew that. Through all her mistakes and failures, Akatsuki would stand beside her and tell her that it was okay. That there was nothing to be sorry about. She was trying to change. But it was just so damn hard. And she had so little to show for all her efforts.

She stared down at the ground. Hard. Oh, it wasn't as if she had the sudden urge to cry. She was already way past that point. She was just tired. So sick and tired of everything that was going on in the outside world. So sick and tired of thinking. So sick and tired of wanting to do things but failing to have the courage or ability to do them. And worst of all, she was sick and tired of being weak. She wanted to prove to Akatsuki that she was strong and independent. But she only ended up relying on him more and more.

He was the one who got possessed by a pureblood. He was the one who suffered from blood lust. He was the one who took on the ex-human vampires last night and won. And what had she done. Host a trip? Teach Yuuki etiquette?

Those were the thoughts swirling inside her mind. But she didn't voice them. She just stood there, staring down at the ground. And he stayed with her, his comforting hand remained on her shoulder.

"I don't understand," Akatsuki said finally.

It was the mild confusion in his tone that had her raise her head and look up at him. He was staring up at the star-lit sky with a small frown on his face. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you so hard on yourself?"

_Huh?_

He stared down at her. His direct gaze was slightly disconcerting. "You should think more of yourself than you apparently do."

Ruka didn't know how to respond to that. She stared up into Akatsuki's eyes. "I..."

"Kain."

A voice suddenly intruded into their small world. Ruka teared her eyes away from Akatsuki's and looked over to the front gate. There, leaning against the gate, was the all-too-familiar Day Class Prefect. But he wasn't alone. There were at least six or seven other hunters with him. Plus one familiar looking blonde.

Something was definitely wrong.

"I should go," Akatsuki said. Yet he made no move at all.

"Yeah," Ruka agreed quietly.

Akatsuki turned and took a couple of steps towards the hunters. But he paused and turned back around. He hesitated. If Ruka didn't know better, she would have said he was flustered. He reached into the inside of his jacket and took out something. Something red, fragrant and familiar. Ruka's eyes widened when she realized what it was.

"Amaryllis belladonna," he said as he handed a long-stemmed fire flower over to her. "The store owner said it stood for splendid beauty and pride. Think about it."

He shrugged his shoulders again and without staying to see her reaction, he turned and took off.

"How..." Ruka wondered out loud as she stared at his retreating back.

She didn't get a response. Ruka stared down at the blossom, hoping it would tell her something she didn't know.

But wanted to find out.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Not my best effort I know. But 3hrs of sleep a day can do that to a person. Time sure flies by quickly when you're constantly sleep-deprived, which is why it was such a shock when I realized it's already been another month. *sigh* Three more chapters (+ epilogue) to go, we'll get there.

Thank you to all those who commented on the story. It really does help motivate me going. :)

Witless Fool

P.S. If you google image the flower, you're bound to get mostly the pink variety. But if you scroll through, you'll find the bright red ones I'm referring to (or maybe just add the term "red" in front of it). I initially picked them because of the colour. But afterwards, the name and meaning was sort of perfect too. So it was kind of neat in a way. ^^


	15. Chapter 15: Time Stopped for No One

**Chapter Fifteen: Time Stopped for No One**

"What's the situation?" Akatsuki asked quietly as he scanned their surroundings for any signs of disturbance. It was quiet. Definitely too quiet. It was the middle of the day and the usually crowded schoolyard was completely deserted of Day Class students. They were all safely tucked away in the basement of the Sun Dorms. There were hunters there who would be able to keep them safe. And out of trouble.

Chairman Kaien was quite keen to keep their secret identities safe this time around and avoid the trouble of erasing all his students' memories again.

The real battle was to take place at the Cross Academy. The hunters have laid down special lures – the same type they used in their last battle here – to attract the vampires to there and away from the dorms. If they couldn't stop them from coming and attacking the school, at least they could pick their own battleground and give themselves at least a fighting chance.

His companion, Hanabusa, shrugged in response as he also scanned their surroundings carefully. The pair of them was on the roof of the main school building, which afforded them a clear 360 degrees view of the surrounding woodlands. "Fine for now. Still no signs of trouble."

Akatsuki tried but failed to stifle a yawn from escaping. When was the last time he had actually slept in a proper bed for a solid eight hours? He honestly couldn't remember. It was probably before arriving back at the Academy. After getting attacked on the road, they were whisked straight to the Academy. He barely had time to get some rest before Hanabusa started interrogating him. Even just thinking about it now made Akatsuki mentally squirm in discomfort. The trip into town took up the rest of that day and they had classes that night all the way till dawn. Then –

"_We have a situation," Zero announced without any greeting as Akatsuki walked up to them. _

"_What's wrong?" Akatsuki glanced over at his cousin. It was rare to see a worried expression on Hanabusa's face. Whatever this was, it must be serious._

"_Vampires," another hunter reported. With brown hair and pale green eyes, he looked vaguely familiar. Perhaps they had met at the Headquarters, but Akatsuki couldn't remember. "At least five hundred, maybe more, were sighted heading in this direction en masse. They haven't wrecked destruction on any of the towns they had come across, which makes us think they have a specific target in mind."_

"_The Academy." _

_It was a statement, not a question. Nevertheless, Zero nodded in agreement._

"_So," Akatsuki glanced around. "What's the plan?"_

_The white-haired prefect shot him a bland look. "What else is there to do? We fight."_

That was yesterday morning. And in the past thirty-six hours, the hunters have been busy preparing the schoolyard for what was about to come. Traps have been laid down all around the perimeter, with a heavy focus on the long bridge leading up to the school. Of course, there were safe routes around, enabling the hunters to move about. It was like a bizarre terrifyingly real chessboard – one wrong move and it was game over.

Akatsuki glanced around once again. They were out there, Akatuski knew. He first noticed them just before sunrise, seeking refuge in the dark dense forests from the sun's unforgivable rays of light. Even now, he could sense their shadows flitting underneath the shades of the surrounding forest. They were waiting – waiting for their opportunity to strike.

_It was the same thing last time too_, Akatuski thought to himself as he patrolled the borders of the roof once more.

Last time, the horde of ex-human and Level E vampires sent out to destroy the Cross Academy were from Rido-sama and surprisingly also from the Vampire Hunter Association itself. Each and every single one of them had been ex-human for far too long to even remember what humanity was anymore. They were cleared off the streets by the hunters to keep the humans safe and when the Association betrayed their own people to make a deal with the Vampire Council, the Level Es were unleashed onto the school.

This time, however, Akatuski wondered how these ex-human vampires came to be. There weren't that many left at the end of the last battle. In fact, both the Night Class and the Vampire Hunter Association had made sure that none who were present at the battlefield had survived. And make no mistake, these were all ex-humans – not all had descended to Level E – in fact, Akatsuki couldn't sense many that had, which made the situation more and more curious.

"They're just waiting for sunset," Ruka announced as she stepped out onto the roof. She sighed. "It's going to be an even longer wait until tomorrow's dawn."

Unable to help himself, Akatsuki's gaze strayed towards where she stood. His gaze quickly turned into a frown. In three quick strides, he made his way to her side. "You look exhausted."

Ruka looked up at him with a small smile on her lips. "A real gentleman would never make a comment on a lady's appearance unless she was looking her absolute best." Her smile lingered as she looked over him in return. "Besides, you looked a little peaked yourself. And when was the last time you ironed that shirt?"

"Yeah, well, not sleeping for a couple of days would do that to a person," Akatsuki countered. Despite the gravity of their present situation, he felt lighter. There was almost an urge to smile. How can a casual banter of words between the two of them make such a huge impact on his mood so quickly?

"Besides, I'm always dressed like this. You would think that after all these years, you would have accepted the fact that I'm never going to look as good as someone like Hanabusa."

Instead of retorting with any number of light remarks about his poor fashion sense, Ruka's eyes widened, her lips parted as if to say something before clamping shut. She took a step back and all of a sudden, she was looking at anything but him.

Did he say something wrong?

Leaning down to look at her eye level, Akatsuki was startled when she jerked back in response. She didn't look offended, which was reassuring. But she was still refusing to meet his eyes. And her cheeks were definitely turning pink.

Wait, was she blushing?

"Oh get a room, you two," Hanabusa muttered as he strode past them.

If anything, that only served to make the pink stain on Ruka's cheeks deepen. "I'm, uh, going to check up on Yuuki-sama." Visibly flustered, Ruka turned and all but ran down the staircase. "We'll talk later."

"What was that about?" Akatsuki wondered out loud. Women! Why were they difficult to understand? Sighing, he forced all thoughts of Ruka out of his head before turning and resuming his patrol. He needed to concentrate on the battle ahead. His complicated whatever-it-is thing with Ruka would just have to wait. He has been waiting for all his life. What's another few hours? Time stopped for no one. It merely edged onwards at a steady pace.

Just as the sun edged closer and closer to the horizon.

* * *

><p><em>Oh, how the mighty had fallen...<em>

Deep beneath in the heart of the Kuran mansion and inside a chamber full of hidden secrets and forgotten memories, those whispered words slithered across his skin. Like a venomous snake, they twirled languidly around their victim and bided their time, waiting for the poison to set in. Showing no outward signs of acknowledgement, Kaname sat there, on what had been his resting place for the last thousands of years, and did his best to ignore the vile presence beside him.

_The pureblood lord... Alone in his lair... Master of none..._

Yet despite his best attempts, the presence refused to leave him alone. It rose up from behind him, in front of him and all around him, demanding nothing but the fullest of his attention.

"True," Kaname commented softly.

_You could have had it all... The world... The Slaves... Your beloved little bird..._

"What's your point?"

_Yet you let them all go... World domination... Ultimate power... Even your bird has flown away... To the knight that you had once enlisted to your cause... _

"What _is_ your point?" Kaname opened his eyes to find himself face to face with the vampire who had once tried to rule the word and in the process of that attempt, enslave Kaname by becoming his creator. Even in his death, Rido Kuran continued to taunt him.

_What do you have to speak for your existence in this world?_ The question was smugly delivered, the tone just right to maximize the impact of the words.

Silence reigned inside the chamber.

It was the truth. That had been Kaname's problem right from the beginning. Driven out of his home and village all those thousands of years ago, it had taken a woman – no, a goddess – to give his life a new meaning. With a new purpose in life, he had grasped it with both hands and strove for completion. Yet it failed. He failed. And it costed him the first being that he had ever cared about and along with her, his reason to keep going.

Laying inside his resting chamber, Kaname had wanted to sleep until his existence had been completely obliterated. It was only by force that he had been dragged into consciousness and compelled to take part in a game that he did not enjoy. Perhaps with her, he could have eventually found a new reason to live but the fear – that constant fear of losing someone he cared about, of watching them die in his place – kept holding him back.

And now...

Kaname sighed. The release of air echoed around the dimly-lit stone chamber.

It was true. He had nothing to speak for his existence in this world. But it was perhaps ultimately for the best. Time stopped for no one. Perhaps one day, history will eventually forget about him, her, and the entire pureblood race. They were too strange to exist in this world and the world wanted to move on.

He should let it.

"I've said it once before," Kaname stood up slowly. "You are truly a good mirror, Rido. You understand me well, perhaps too well. You know exactly where my weak points are and what to say to hurt me the most."

He walked towards the doors with the slow sombre gait of a man walking to his own doom. The remnant of his descendent trailed after him, hissing and cackling triumphantly at once again successfully taunting him.

"But you know what the flip side of that is," Kaname asked as he turned around to face Rido. Quick as lightning, his hand shot forward to grab hold of Rido's swirling blood. "I know you just as well."

Still holding onto Rido, Kaname strode back to the stone coffin at the centre of the chamber. "Have you ever wondered why even when you have passed away, your remnants remain here, clinging desperately to existence?"

_Yes..._ The remnant hissed. _You have always been the self-sacrificing hero. Whereas I sought after the more pleasurable things in life: immortality and power. _

"And here you are, languishing in this chamber and visible to no one other than myself." Without showing any outward facial expression, Kaname dropped Rido's remnant down into the coffin. "What do you think the most fitting punishment would be for a lowlife such as yourself?"

_What?_ For once, Rido didn't sound smug. Confused, perhaps, with a hint of fear creeping in from the periphery.

"Yes," Kaname smiled down at him. "You wanted immortality and you got it. Even after you have been completely destroyed, here you are. Have you thought about what would happen to you when I'm gone? How long would you be able to last here alone before going completely insane and beg for a merciful end to the never-ending wheel of time?"

_Wait, what are you thinking of doing..._

Softly, Kaname delivered the killing blow. "Enjoy your immortality, Rido."

He slid the coffin shut. From beneath the stone slab, Kaname could still hear the now angry Rido demanding answers.

_Answer me! What are you thinking of doing? Answer me! You can't possibly die!_

"Why not?" Kaname wondered out loud as he strode towards the exit.

Brushing thoughts of Rido aside – he belonged to the past anyway, Kaname thought to the future. There was a war brewing outside and it was time for him to finally make his move.

It was time.

* * *

><p><em>You would think that after all these years, you would have accepted the fact that I'm never going to look as good as someone like Hanabusa.<em>

Those words played around in her head over and over again. Even now, fifteen minutes after their conversation, Ruka's cheeks were still warm just from thinking about it.

And why?

Even Ruka was mildly puzzled.

It was a flippant remark that Akatsuki had made right off the bat. There were no connotations attached to it and in a way, it was the basic truth. Akatsuki had always preferred comfort over fashion and didn't give a damn what others thought of his fashion sense. What he had said was unsurprising and Ruka had been prepared for it. She even had a couple of come-backs on the tip of her tongue.

But it was just his choice of words.

_I'm never going to look as good as someone like Hanabusa._

The first thought that popped into her mind when he said those words was that he looked pretty damn good to her. Tall and lean, without a sinewy grace that made him look elegant despite his messy attires and bed hair. In fact, Ruka preferred Akatsuki just the way he is.

Oh Lord, when did she become so ... obsessive?

Ruka shook her head as she forced thoughts of Akatsuki out of her mind. She was beginning to resemble a love-sick teenager. She needed to focus and return to the problem at hand.

"Yuuki-sama," she began as she trailed after the pureblood princess down the corridor of the Moon Dormitory. "We need to move you to a safer place right now. Sara-sama is already on the move towards the Hunter Association – you'll be safer there too."

"No," Yuuki shook her head adamantly as she walked into her own room. Grabbing hold of Artemis, Yuuki turned around and headed straight back out again.

Sighing, Ruka could do nothing but follow Yuuki.

"No," Yuuki repeated. "The vampires are here, threatening what is mine to protect. I have to fight."

"Yuuki-sama," Ruka tried again. "The hunters will be out there. We will be out there. There's no need to endanger yourself in the process. And if Kaname-sama is truly after Sara-sama, then –"

"Don't," Yuuki twirled around, her eyes dancing in fury. "Don't even finish that sentence. Kaname is not like that." Then, her shoulders sagged as if all the fight had left her. "He's not like that." She repeated, softly. "Sometimes, I just wish ..."

Ruka paused. "What is it you wish for?"

"The impossible." Yuuki confessed. "I wish for my heart to be fulfilled even though I know that it will never be. I just wish for this torment to go away and leave me be. I wish for there to be no more fighting and that everyone can get along. I wish ..."

Silence.

Yuuki shook her head, as if to clear her own thoughts. "That's not what I wanted to say."

_No, perhaps not,_ Ruka thought. _But it was what was on your mind._

"Sorry," Yuuki apologized as tightened her grip on Artemis and narrowed her eyes in determination. "Right now, what's important is protecting Cross Academy."

And after that, no amount of arguments could prevent Yuuki from entering the battle. But as they stood there, on the bridge entrance to the school, Yuuki's words continued to haunt her. She wished for her heart to be fulfilled. Doesn't everyone? If that was the case, what did Ruka wish for?

"Akatsuki..."

The timing was off but then again, time stopped for no one. Perhaps, just perhaps, it wasn't too late for Ruka to take a leap of faith.

As the sun sets over the horizon, colouring the darkening sky in shades of red and orange, she gave into her impulses. Stepping forward, she grabbed hold of Akatsuki's jackets and tugged him down for a kiss. In one way, it was reminiscent of their first one back in that club all those months ago. The widening of his eyes in surprise. The way his arms were quick to come around her waist. And the taste – oh, how she missed the taste of him.

Yet in many ways, it was so much better. Whereas their first one was full of misguided emotions, this one was tender and conveyed so much more. They were more sure of themselves now, Ruka realized hazily as she leaned into his embrace, relishing in the way he was cradling the back of her head with one of his hands. Or perhaps she was more sure of herself.

The enemies could have come and gone and it wouldn't have mattered. All that mattered was the two of them being together then and there. His lips moved insistently against hers and she responded in kind. Their tongues brushed, parted before entangling once more. This must be what heaven feels like and she wanted the moment to last forever.

All too soon, they drew apart, staring at each other as their collective breathes clouded up the small space between them.

"Ruka?" Came the softly worded question.

Ruka shook her head. There was so much they needed to say to one another. But now was neither the time nor place. They will have their moment. Soon.

So instead, she whispered up to him. "Be careful."

"Yeah, you too." His tone was light. But there was no mistaking the worry that was in his eyes. Ruka smiled up at him. It was just so like Akatsuki to always be worrying about everyone else but himself. Oh how she wanted –

Somewhere deep in the forest, a rustle could be heard. It was soft and subtle, inaudible to the average human. But all the vampires on guard that evening immediately tensed up in anticipation. It was about to start.

The next dawn could not come soon enough.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I enjoyed how the chapter title meant different things for the three characters here – for Akatsuki, it meant there were more pressing things at hand. He was willing to wait longer for what his heart truly wanted. For Kaname, it meant the beginning of the end. He could no longer put it off any longer. And for Ruka, it was the dawning realization that she should finally step forward and reach for what she wanted. And in an unintended way, it brings us back to the story title - Carpe Diem. :)

What the chapter title meant to me? Well, you guys already know the answer to that. This chapter has been a long time coming. Got quite the shock when So Not Telling reminded me yesterday morning that it's soon going to be a year since my last update. To quote the Queen, last year was my annus horribilis. Everything that could go wrong went wrong. Even now, I keep wishing it's all just a big nightmare and that I can get out of this mess somehow.

So from the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank everyone who's reviewed this story. Whenever I was too busy with life and have left this project on the backburner, a new review popping up in my email reminds me that hey, I've got a story here I need to finish. I usually don't do this but I want to list everyone who's reviewed since Chapter 14 – without you guys, this chapter may forever be languishing in the back of my mind.

So, to all of you, plus all the readers out there, thank you for staying on this journey with me. May we see it to its end. Together. :)

_**Witless Fool**_

* * *

><p><strong>Special Thanks to:<strong>

Mycha, AnimeLoverForeverxox, loverlyhyperchick, Nara Merald, Winterwing3000, Armandhas, ColinatorGX, kealani, The Patchwork Bear, Pride and Love, Mimiitou, soyunax, faxfan99, anon & so not telling.


	16. Chapter 16: Farewells are always Lonely

**Chapter Sixteen: Farewells are always Lonely**

They attacked just after sundown. Dozens of vampires emerged from the shadows of the forest, all heading for the bridge. Zero scanned the tree lines with the cold eyes of a seasoned killer. The vampires were all visibly brimming with confidence. And why shouldn't they? They had the numbers on their side. There were hundreds if not thousands of vampires out there. Even if their skills were not as good as the hunters, they could crush their opponents with their sheer size.

Their confidence was their strength but also their weakness.

"Raise your weapons," Zero uttered the words as he lifted the Bloody Rose. All around him, his comrades all did the same with their respective weapons.

"Pick your target." He shifted the Bloody Rose to train his sights firmly on that smug spiky-hair on the front line.

The quiet sound of safety-switches being flipped off the firearms could be heard all across the rooftop. Zero narrowed his eyes.

"Fire."

Bullets shot through the air at a speed that even vampires had difficulty to follow. Zipping across the bridge, each and every single bullet, arrow and dart found their marks. After all, this was what the hunters were trained from birth for. Their enemies never stood a chance.

The front line was decimated into clouds of ash.

Behind him, Zero could hear a couple of the younger ones retch in response. It was probably their first kill. As their leader, he probably should say something comforting. Or see to it that they were looked after by more seasoned hunters. But this was neither the time nor place. There was a battle to be won. And vampire to be killed. Ignoring them, Zero reloaded the Bloody Rose and selected his next target.

Having lost some of their members, the vampires hesitated for a brief moment.

The hunters wasted no time.

"Fire."

Another shower of bullets rained down amongst the vampires, destroying them into ashes. Realizing their mistake, the remaining vampires sped up their advance towards the bridge.

"Fire." Zero ordered.

More bullets. More ashes. The evening sky around the bridge became coloured with clouds of bullets intermixed with the ashes of their enemies.

"Fire."

Each and every order became more and more frantic. The intervals between them became shorter and shorter. Zero's hands flew as he alternated between reloading and firing. And he was the fastest of them all. The hunters around him could barely keep up.

"Fire."

No matter how many rounds they empty into their enemy. No matter how many vampires they destroy. The onslaught was endless. Waves after waves of ex-human vampires emerged from the forest, heading for the bridge. Despite the fate that was dealt out to those that had preceded them, they continued to advance towards the bridge.

What was their purpose? Who was the whip behind their back?

It was no use. Growling with frustration, Zero emptied out another round of bullets and reloaded.

But it was no use. They were almost at the bridge now.

"Kain!" Zero barked out.

* * *

><p>Down on the ground, Akatsuki heard Zero's call loud and clear. But he didn't need the prompt. The situation was clear. Despite their early onslaught, they've only managed to make a dent in the enemies' numbers.<p>

"Ready?"

Standing next to him, Ruka looked far too delicate to be standing in the midst of battle. But Akatsuki had seen firsthanded her strength and skills at a fight. Glancing up at him, she managed a small twisted smile. "Yeah."

"Rima?"

The youngest member of their group yawned as she nodded in response.

"Now."

And hell was released.

Without warning, the bridge erupted with blazes of flame. Unsuspectingly, the first waves of vampires to arrive at the bridge were instantly burnt into cinders. Not realizing what was happening, the second wave reached the bridge and met the same fate. Their short-lived screams joined the bullets and ashes in the air, only to be swallowed up by Ruka's illusions. The rest of the oncoming crowd were blissfully unaware of what was awaiting them as they crossed the threshold onto the bridge.

"You okay?" Akatsuki asked Ruka.

It was only meant to be a temporary measure to thin down their opponents. Having seen what happened the last time Ruka used her powers, Akatuski knew she was about to reach her limits soon. Already, she was looking too pale and was visibly trembling.

"I.." Ruka trailed off as she trained her gaze on the bridge in front of them. Her brows were wrinkled with concentration as she held onto the illusion for as long as she could.

"Ruka, I'm taking over," Rima announced in her usual languid, no nonsense tone.

With a sigh, Ruka severed her powers.

Like a curtain of dreams, the illusion was lifted from the eyes of the ex-human vampires. It was too late for those already rushing towards the bridge, their momentum carried them over into the roaring fire. The horror on their faces as they toppled over into the blaze was plain for everyone to see.

Those behind them slowed down their movements. However, they could not completely stop. The hunters were still firing at them from above. Some of the braver souls decided to cross the river by leaping into the water.

Only to be met with currents of electricity coursing through the river. Akatsuki watched with battle-hardened eyes as their enemies floundered as they died, their screams growing louder before trailing off into a gurgle of moans as they shattered into ashes.

"Rima," Senri Shiki said quietly as he lightly tapped the blonde girl on the shoulder. "It's enough. Let go now."

Stubbornly, Rima shook her head. "I can hold on for a few minutes more." With Akatsuki's flames on the bridge and her electricity in the water, the vampires have no ways of crossing over to their side. The longer they manage to keep them on the other side, the more ex-human vampires they can destroy before the horde crosses the bridge.

"Rima," Shiki said again. "Let the rest of us join in the fun too." He bit his finger and a thin trail of blood trickled down onto his hand. Like a live whip, the blood crackled and swirled around the brown-haired boy.

"Fine," Rima huffed as she stopped sending bolts of electricity into the river.

Sensing the inevitable was about the happen, Akatsuki let go of the fire as well. He'll need his energy for the long battle ahead of them.

The real battle was about to begin.

* * *

><p>Seeing the first ex-human vampires cross the bridge, Zero vaulted over the railing and leapt down the building. As soon as his feet hit the pavement, he was off, running towards the front line, shooting as he went.<p>

All around him, Night Class members and hunters alike all joined in the fight. Reloading the gun, Zero sidestepped to dodge a vampire's fist. The opponent's entire body pitched forward with the momentum, only to be cut down by shards of ice. Any scream that the vampire might have released were swallowed as his entire body was encased in a tomb of ice before shattering like glass.

"Didn't need your help," Zero said to Aidou as he raised the Bloody Rose and shot down more enemies.

The blonde vampire shrugged as he iced another opponent. "Wasn't offering it."

Some things never changed.

"Where's Yuuki?" Zero asked as he fired off more shots.

It was a pointless question. He knew exactly where she was. He always did. And even if he didn't, it was kind of hard to miss the black-haired girl carving a path through the enemy with a giant scythe.

In a motion that was too fast even for Zero to see, Yuuki swung her scythe down and floored one of the ex-human vampires. As that one blasted into dusts, she downed two more. Her attack drove the enemies back as well as propelling the hunters and Night Class students forward. Yuuki was clearly in her element.

Shrugging, Zero turned his attention back to the battle at hand. She was not his concern. He shot down three more enemies before grabbing a dead hunter's sword from his grip and swung it at another oncoming vampire. There was no time to mourn for the dead when the living were still fighting for survival.

But, all of a sudden, in the corner of his eyes, he saw Yuuki falter and stop.

"No," Yuuki murmured as she gazed over towards the direction of the Hunter Association. Without a moment's hesitation, she cut down the ex-human vampire that was in her way before darting towards the Hunters' Headquarters.

"Yuuki-sama," Aidou could be heard yelling from somewhere to Zero's left. "Where are you going?"

Suddenly, it dawned on Zero.

"That son of a bitch!" He snarled as he tore away from the battlefield to chase after Yuuki.

* * *

><p>"You came." A feminine voice drawled out languidly as she stepped out onto the main balcony of the Hunter's headquarters. At first, it appeared as if she was talking to the empty night sky. However, after awhile, a swarm of bats flew down from a nearby tree, coalescing into a dark tall figure. The lady smiled. "Kaname."<p>

"Sara," Kaname tilted his head in acknowledgement. As always, his opponent was dressed splendidly in a long white fur coat with her flowing blonde tresses billowing behind her in the gentle breeze. Far removed from the Cross Academy where the battle was taking place, the Hunter Association was quiet and seemingly peaceful. "This is where you've chosen the final battle?"

"Why no pleasantries?" Sara's baby-blue eyes widened innocently as she demurely crossed the balcony. "The battle is going to take at least another couple of hours. Don't you want to see the outcome?"

The hidden message being _don't you want to stick around till the end?_

It was a testament to Kaname's weariness when all he did was sigh in response. "We both know the outcome of that battle has no significance. Let's just bring this to an end."

"In that case," she murmured quietly. "Let me end it for you."

Just like that, the smile slipped off Sara's face. In the blink of an eye, she flew back as the floor beneath them began to crumble. With one sweep of her hand, Sara sent the blocks of stones towards Kaname. It was a futile move. Kaname simply leapt away to one side. He unsheathed his sword, tightened his grip on it as the anti-vampire weapon hissed at his touch, and advanced towards Sara.

Pouting at his unwillingness to play, Sara fired more missiles at his direction. "You weren't always like this, Kaname," she called out as the dark-haired vampire smashed each and every one of her stones into pieces with his weapon. "What bought on the sudden change?"

At first, it appeared as if he wasn't going to speak, but Kaname suddenly appeared in front of her. Grasping the nape of her coat with one hand, he raised the sword to her throat. Quietly, with obsidian eyes darkened with sombreness and a tinge of regret, he said. "You know as well as I do that all must come to an end. Our days as the Kings and Queens of the world are numbered. Our reign must come to an end."

_Any reign must come to an end._

_All that is bad or dirty, must be ruined. It must come to an end. _

For a brief moment, the baby-blue eyes wavered with hesitation. Swirls of regret and hopelessness crept into her eyes. Faced with the possibility of spending from now to the end of time as a revered ruler was not as exciting as it sounded. Sooner or later, she would bow down to the insanity of eternity and demand a merciful end to the bleakness.

Wasn't that why she went about systematically destroying all the other purebloods? Wasn't that why she created an army big enough to destroy the Hunter Association? Wasn't that why she demanded Kaname play this "game" with her?

Anything to defer the inevitable and give her life a meaning for just a bit longer.

"Well," Sara said. "I'm not planning on ending today." Quick as lightning, she reached out with her right hand and plunged it deep into Kaname's chest.

"No," Yuuki screamed as she darted out. Jumping in between the two of them, she swung Artemis down. Both Sara and Kaname leapt back to avoid the cutting blade. Clutching his chest with one hand, Kaname made a move towards Sara but Yuuki pre-empted his move.

Swinging herself behind him, Yuuki swung the Artemis around to capture the tip of the weapon with her hand, capturing Kaname in a peculiar embrace. Shuddering, Yuuki let out a sigh as she rested her forehead against Kaname's back.

Why did it have to come down to this? Her mind mourned as her heart broke. Was their existence so peculiar and misunderstood that they had to be eradicated?

"It's enough, Kaname," she whispered quietly, knowing that he could hear her. "Whatever it is that you are trying to fulfil, it's enough already. Can't..." She trailed off, blinking back the sudden flood of tears. "Can't we go back to the way things were?"

Gently, his hand – coated with his own blood – reached up to grasp hers. "It has to end, Yuuki." He said gently. "I have to do this."

"No," Yuuki shook her head. "You can't."

Lifting his head, Kaname could see the triumph swirling in his opponent's eyes. Unbeknownst to Yuuki, Sara wasn't about to let things simply stop as they were. He was trapped, but she wasn't. Already, Sara was lifting her hand to deliver the killing blow.

"But I can," Zero stated quietly as he emerged from behind Sara.

_Bang!_

* * *

><p>Back at the Cross Academy, the fighting faltered. Vampires from both sides lifted their head at the scent wafting through the air.<p>

"What's going on?" One of the hunters wondered out loud as he also paused for a moment.

"Blood," Shiki stated monotonously as he twirled his whip around another opponent's neck and yanked.

"Not just any blood," Kaito jumped in calmly as he felled yet another vampire.

"Yuuki-sama." Hanabusa took off towards the Hunter's Headquarters.

"Wait a minute, Hanabusa!"

"Stop, you idiot!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Akatsuki and Ruka took off after him.

Pausing, Kaito followed the trio's movements with his eyes and murmured. "It's going to end soon."

* * *

><p>On the ancient balcony of the Hunter Association, the four individuals all froze.<p>

Sara was the first one to move. Making a small choking sound, she reached up with one trembling hand to cover her mouth as blood spilt forth from her lips. Shocked eyes widened as blood trickled down her long graceful neck and onto her white coat.

"No," she whimpered as she stumbled onto her knees. "This wasn't how I wanted things to end."

"Sara-san!" Yuuki made a dash towards her but as she raced past Kaname, she found herself trapped by his arms.

Without hesitation, Kaname twirled Yuuki around and pressed her close. With one hand around her waist and another one on her head, he kept her there. "It's not your fight, Yuuki." He said gently. "This was the way things must end."

"No!" Yuuki cried out as she shook her head. "There must be another way. There must."

Sighing, Kaname rested his chin on top of her head. "If there was, I would have found it for you, Yuuki."

Behind them, Sara collapsed onto the floor. Lying on her back, she stared up at the star-lit sky. "Even now," she murmured. "There is so much I still want to do. So much more I need to accomplish."

With three hesitant steps, Zero approached the fallen queen and knelt beside her. "That's the way of life, isn't it?"

A small smile reached the corner of her lips. "For you mere mortals, maybe. But not I. I should be languishing until the ever turning wheel of time breaks me."

Zero paused in contemplation. "Then, isn't this a better ending?"

"A better ending?" Sara laughed, coughing as more blood welled up into her mouth. Cracks began to appear on her once immaculate face. "When it comes to dying, there is no better or worse ending. Your body shuts down. Your vision dulls. Your breathing slows and your heart eventually stops beating. Slowly but surely, all the cells in your body ceases function. There's nothing good about it." She tilted her head to look up at Zero. "Are you here out of pity?"

Zero merely knelt there, staring down at her with those indecipherable cold eyes. "No one should have to die alone."

Turning her gaze back towards the sky, Sara smiled as cracks continued to trek along her body. "Keeping me company, huh? Yet I'm the only one dying. There's no companionship when it comes to the art of dying." Closing her baby-blue eyes for the last time, she murmured. "That's why farewells are always lonely."

With those final words, Sara Shirabuki shattered into shards of glass.

Zero slowly stood up and looked over at Kaname. "What now?"

Kaname stirred. "To complete what I started."

In his arms, Yuuki froze. "No," she struggled to break free from her bonds.

"What are you thinking of doing?" Zero narrowed his eyes and he aimed the Bloody Rose at Kaname.

"Relax," Kaname chuckled. "I'm merely doing what I intended to all along." Ignoring Zero for the moment, Kaname bent down his head and asked Yuuki. "Do you remember my greatest fear, Yuuki?"

Yuuki froze. "Why do you have to be the sacrificial hero? Why can't ..."

"Do you remember, Yuuki?" Kaname pressed on.

"I'm so dreadfully afraid that one day, you might throw yourself into a lost cause and sacrifice your life in the attempt." Yuuki intoned word for word the words Kaname spoke to her all those months ago. It was one of their last moments together before their carefully crafted world together had crumbled like a deck of cards.

"That's right." Kaname sighed as he pressed Yuuki impossibly closer to him, wanting to imprint this moment into his mind forever. "And now, I don't have to be afraid."

"No." Fearing the worst, Yuuki placed her hands on his chest and pushed, wanting desperately to look up to his face. But it was futile. Wounded as he was, his arms were still like bands of steel, trapping her where she was. "I..."

"I know. I understand." Kaname whispered. And he did understand, perhaps all too well, the turmoil that was inside her. He took in a breath and carefully selected his words.

Last words. They should be meaningful and memorable. There were thousands of other words he could have chosen but none of them seemed to matter. If it all goes well, she wouldn't remember anyway. He was here. She was here. That's all that mattered.

Summoning all of his strengths, Kaname used the power that was in his spilt blood to call on the ancient magic. Releasing it down onto Yuuki, he leant down and whispered into her ears for the last time.

"Be well."

* * *

><p>"Do you feel that?" Ruka murmured as they neared the Hunters' Headquarters. Slowing down, she brushed stray strands of hair out of her face.<p>

Puffing slightly, Hanabusa nodded as he stared up at the building looming ahead of them. For some inexplicable reason, tears began to well up in his eyes. It felt as if a heavy feeling had just been lifted off of his chest but he had never been aware of its existence before. "What's going on?"

At a loss, Akatsuki shook his head. Even his eyes looked particularly bright under the moon-lit sky.

Then, in the distance, they could see a figure strolling towards them. Whoever the person was, they appeared to be carrying a burden in their arms. When the figure finally emerged into the light, all three vampires took a step back in horror.

Finally Hanabusa decided to speak up. "Is Yuuki-sama okay?"

The pureblood princess was covered from head to toe in blood. She was limp, unconscious and her skin was pitch white. If it wasn't for the soft barely discernible rise and fall of her chest and the fact that her skin was free from cracks, Ruka would have feared the worst.

Tersely, Zero nodded.

"But there's so much blood," Ruka whispered out loud in horror.

Zero shook his head vehemently. "Not hers."

"Then who..." Akatsuki trailed off into silence. The answer was clear.

"You're all free now," Zero said emotionlessly as he brushed past them, still carrying the unconscious Yuuki. "Do what you will."

* * *

><p><em>Alone, finally,<em> Kaname thought as he staggered down the winding staircase of the Hunters' Headquarters. _Like how it was meant to be._

Ten thousand years. For a long ten thousand years, she had crusaded for mankind, pitching a war against those of her own species. History, at least the history that was aware of their existence, had treated her kindly. The hunters remembered her as the Ancestress that gave rise to them. The compassionate mother who equipped them with the abilities to finally defend themselves.

Kaname wondered how, if at all, history would remember him.

Not that it mattered. He was here and the end was near. Already, slivers of cracks began to appear along his arms, trekking slowly upwards. His body was crying out for him to replenish himself but he ignored the temptation.

What was it that Rido had said? Ah yes, the pureblood lord, alone in his lair, master of none.

_No... Not alone... Not when I'm here..._

Closing his eyes, Kaname rested his back against the wall and slid down. Originally, he had intended to go down to the core, to be near her. But she was here, and that was all that mattered.

_You have done well, Kaname..._

"No," he shook his head. "I do not deserve your praise. Not when you have done so much more."

_Hm..._ he could hear her gentle humming. _It was never a competition Kaname._

"But it's done now," Kaname opened his eyes and sighed. "And now everything will finally end."

_Yes..._

"Born alone. Die alone. It's our curse, isn't it?" He asked out loud, not expecting her to give a reply. Sara was right. Farewells were always lonely.

_No, never alone. _

_Let us go. _

_Together. _

_The world will move on without us._

_Perhaps it's time for us to finally rest in peace._

Closing his eyes for the last time, Kaname felt strangely at peace. His final thought was on the one he had to let go. _Yuuki, be well. You are finally free of your burden. Go forth and fly free. _

The building shuddered, cracks forming along the floors, walls, ceiling just as the cracks on Kaname's body continued trekking upwards. Together, the cracks spread and conquered, splintering everything in their path. With one final pause, both the ancient stone building and the last Kuran lord shattered into broken pieces.

And the pureblood race was no more.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Not happy. Not happy at all with how this chapter turned out. But no amount of staring at the screen could fix it for me. I knew what I wanted in my mind and in a way, it's sort of been conveyed out onto paper. But ugh, not sure if it's as smooth as I imagined it in my head. :(

Anyway, I hope you guys like it. Thank you all for the continuing support. It really means a lot to me.

Witless Fool

P.S. I should put out a disclaimer before all the Yume fans out there start throwing things this way. I'm neither a Yume nor Zeki fan. I really am one of those rare impartial people who don't really care for the love triangle between the central characters. This was simply the way I envisioned this story heading towards. Having said that, this doesn't necessarily mean it's a Zeki pairing! You can read as much or as little into this chapter. The only pairing in this story is RukaxAkatsuki.


	17. Chapter 17: Let the Rain

**Chapter Seventeen: Let the Rain**

Vampires were strange creatures. Gifted with longevity, they rarely rushed. There was always tomorrow, or next week, year or decade. The long days were all waiting to be filled with repetitive activities. The parties, extensive schoolings, social gatherings – they were all just simple acts to while the time away. If one moment was wasted, there were never any worries or regrets. After all, moments came and moments faded. More moments would surely follow.

"Ruka, are you okay?"

Brought out of her thoughts, Ruka glanced over her shoulders to see Akatsuki emerge from the Moon Dormitory. Surprisingly, despite the battle, the buildings were left unscathed. There was minimal damage to the schoolyards. If it wasn't for the fact that the lawn was covered with piles of ashes, it could have been passed off as another school night at the Dorms.

The bridge, unfortunately, was a different story. It would surely require some major repair works. There were already talks among the hunters that Chairman Kaien would blame the damages on a minor earthquake. Once the repairs have been completed and the evidence of last night's battle cleaned up, everything was going to go back to normal as if last night never existed.

Appearances can be deceiving.

"I'm fine," she murmured as she turned her gaze back over the balcony.

Akatsuki made a noise from the back of his throat, signalling he didn't believe her. But he didn't say anything more as he settled himself next to her, dropping his arms down onto the railing as he too, gazed out into the distance.

Despite her sombre mood, Ruka couldn't help but let slip a wry grin as she glanced up at him from the corner of her eyes. He knew her too well.

The truth was, she wasn't fine. She didn't know how she should feel. Too much had happened. Even if the hunters managed to brush everything under the carpet, Ruka knew nothing was ever going to be the same again. They were vampires, creatures of the night. And though they coexisted with humans, their existence had always been carefully concealed – belonging only in children's books and horror stories.

But eventually… Ruka thought with a sinking feeling… that would be where they belonged. She didn't know when – a thousand years from now, maybe ten or a hundred – but as sure as the sun would rise tomorrow from the east, their numbers would dwindle and the vampire race would eventually cease to exist.

Perhaps it was the fading adrenaline leaving her body drained, perhaps it was having to brutally face the mortality of her own race last night when even _the_ immortal had become no more, but Ruka was feeling strangely bereft and at a loss.

"You're somewhere far away," Akatsuki commented as he looked over at her.

Ruka shrugged her shoulders as she glanced down at her hands gripping tightly onto the railing. All her life, she had lived a vampire's life, full of languorous indulgences without a care about the future. What had she achieved? Accomplished? When it all ends, would she leave with regrets?

She jolted when Akatsuki reached over and covered her hand with his. Looking up, she saw that his eyes were on her, warm and comforting as ever. And for some reason, for the first time that night, the anxious feeling fluttering inside her simmered down.

"What are you thinking about?"

Looking away, Ruka hesitated before admitting with a shuddering sigh. "The future." Glancing back up at him, she asked. "Where do you see yourself in the future?"

"The future?"

"Yes," she repeated. "Say, five years from now."

Akatsuki lifted an eyebrow, not fooled at all by her sudden reversal of questions. But he let it slide. "Five years from now?" He shrugged. "I don't know. Hard to see what's ahead after so many things have happened. Maybe I'll be back home with my parents, running the family conglomerate. Or I could take the opportunity and travel the world, live in a different city for a bit. Or God forbid, maybe I'll be dragged to another season by my mother. She loves torturing me with an endless string of parties."

Ruka stared up at him.

"And where do you see me in five years?"

That question earned her another shrug. "I don't know. Same thing." He smiled. "Except you might actually enjoy dressing up and attending the parties."

"What's gotten into you?" She demanded. This was not the Akatsuki that she knew. How could he be so flippant over something that she had been raking her mind over for the past few hours? Almost growling with frustration, Ruka twirled around to storm back inside.

"Ruka." Suddenly serious, Akatsuki grasped her shoulders, halting her in her steps. "What's the matter? What brought this up?"

Stubbornly, Ruka remained silent, staring down at their shoes.

"Ruka," Akatsuki coaxed her gently. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I don't know," she admitted. "I don't know what to do. I mean, what's going to happen now? Do we go back to school? Is there even a school to go back to now that this… A-And what about the Vampire Society? Who's going to run it now?" The more she talked, the more anxious she became. Ruka tried to keep the hysteria out of her voice. "Tell me what to do."

"You're scared." It was a statement, not a question.

She nodded nonetheless.

"So am I."

That wasn't what she had expected to hear. Startled, her eyes lifted up to meet his. Akatsuki was always so steady, strong and dependable. He was one of the last people she had expected to be scared. He certainly didn't look scared. He looked just as he had always looked – as solid as a rock.

Her scepticism was obvious. Akatsuki smiled in response.

"What do you want to do?" He then asked her directly.

"I…" Ruka trailed off. "I don't know."

"Don't think about the five year plan, just think about what do you want to do. Right now."

"R-right now? Take a shower and go to bed." Ruka flushed as Akatsuki chuckled at her suggestion. She should have said something more intelligent but that was literally the first thing that popped into her head.

"Okay." There was still a trace of that smile lingering on his face as he dropped his hand from her shoulder to entwine his fingers with hers. He turned towards the dormitory and tugged her along behind him. "Sounds like a plan. You must be exhausted. Tomorrow, we can continue this conversation."

That was the Akatsuki she knew – always looking after her. But was that all she wanted?

"No," she dragged her feet to a halt. Pausing, Akatsuki turned around to face her. "I –"

She was abruptly cut off by the onset of rain. Confused, Ruka looked up at the darkened sky. Droplets of water pattered down onto her face. She blinked to clear her eyes and welcomed the cool refreshing liquid.

"Ruka," Akatsuki tugged on their entwined hands. "Let's get inside, we'll get soaked."

"No," Ruka smiled for the first time that night. "You asked me what I want to do right now. And I want to stand out here in the rain." She hadn't done something like this in years. Not since they were both little, that's for sure.

"You'll catch a cold." There was amused exasperation in his voice now.

"Won't be the first time." She continued smiling. The more she stood out there, the more clear her mind became. Maybe this was all she needed in the first place – a bit of clarity. "Besides, we're already soaked. We can't possibly get any wetter than this."

Giving up the fight, Akatsuki sighed as he folded her into his arms, wanting to shield her at least to some extent from the downpour. Ruka would be lying if her heart didn't do a quick somersault at the casual ease with which he took her into his arms. "Are you still worried?"

"A little," she admitted as she burrowed her face into his chest, relishing in his warmth. "But that's okay, I feel slightly better now."

As they stood there, getting drenched to the bone, Ruka thought about their situation. What exactly were they? They had kissed on more than one occasion. He had even taken her blood a couple of times. By any definition – human or vampire – they were together. But they had never once talked about exactly what their status was and what they meant to each other.

"_Do you want to talk about it?" She asked him after the second time they kissed._

_He glanced down at her. "Do you?"_

_She scrunched up her face in annoyance. "Why do you do that?" She demanded, their awkwardness temporarily forgotten. "You always answer my question with another question."_

_He chuckled. "I'm sorry." And in that instant, they were shown a glimpse of the past. A headstrong girl with a serious boy by her side. Then he hesitated, bringing them back to the present. "But seriously, do you want to talk about it?"_

_She shrugged as she looked away to the side. "You are my closest friend," she began softly. "You've always been there for me. And for Hanabusa," she added. "I guess after what's happened in the last few months, I don't want to lose you."_

_Without a word, he drew her into his arms and just held her._

But that moment had felt like a lifetime ago. She was a different person back then, all lonely and hurt with nowhere to vent her frustrations. So she did the next best thing and sought comfort from the one person she knew would always be there for her. She had simply wanted him to be him – the strong and dependable Akatsuki because back then, she had been terrified of losing him. That was all.

Now…

She had changed and, with it, she realized change was simply a fact of life. She wasn't that little hurt girl who had been terrified of getting left behind and, her feelings for Akatsuki definitely wasn't platonic or sibling-like anymore. Perhaps it never was and she had just been too caught up in her own life and blind adoration of Kaname-sama to notice. This was different from that though. She felt happy, confused, cherished – a myriad of emotions that scared her and excited her at the same time.

The question was, how did he feel about her?

It was time to take the leap.

"I'm not running my family's corporation," Ruka said into Akatuski's chest, shivering slightly from the rain. "I never cared for automobiles or machineries. My brothers can take care of it. So expect me to dip my hands in your companies. I'm not the sit around the house and look pretty type of girl."

Akatsuki froze and Ruka smiled, pleased that she had caught him off guard. Some things, no matter how insignificantly put, should still be delivered with impact. She shouldn't be with the only one feeling confused.

"Uh sure," he cleared his throat.

"And when we go travelling, Hanabusa will have to get his own rooms." Ruka told him. "I'm not having him snooping in on us and making snide comments all the time."

"We can always just lock him in the boot of the car."

"And you don't have to force yourself into a tie every time we go to a party. I like you just the way you are. A suit jacket's fine and if you don't want to tuck in your shirt then –"

She broke off when one of his hands touched her chin and tipped her head up. "What?"

"You said." Looking down at her, Akatsuki visibly hesitated. "You said that you like me just the way I am."

Ruka paused and her eyes widened. She wasn't meant to say that last bit. She had just got so caught up in her own rambling about the future. The girl should never be the first person to say it.

Apparently she had said that bit out loud too because Akatsuki threw his head back and laughed. If she wasn't dying from embarrassment then and there, she would have been entranced with how young and carefree he looked at that moment. It was a stunning transformation.

His laughter trailed off but the amusement was still dancing in his eyes when he looked down at her. Quick as lightening, he ducked his head down to brush his lips against hers. Ruka felt the warmth of it all the way down to her toes. He rested his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes.

"I love you." He then smiled. "You only said 'like' so I'm still the first one to say it."

At that point, there was really only one way to stop him from teasing her. With her heart threatening to melt into a puddle of love and relief, Ruka tipped her head up to capture his lips with hers.

It was really starting to get cold. And if they stayed out there any longer, she would most probably be bedridden tomorrow. But Ruka didn't want to move. And neither did Akatsuki. Because as they stood there, with her in his arms, they finally both got what they truly wanted.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> And finally, we're approaching the end of the road. I enjoyed revisiting the tone I set out in the first chapter. It's been a long time since I wrote that first chapter. Thank you all so much for your continued support. I know I haven't replied to many of you individually but your comments and feedback really does mean a lot of me.

Epilogue will be up soon. :)

Witless Fool


	18. Epilogue: Carpe Diem

**Epilogue: Carpe Diem**

She was wearing the latest fashion from Paris – a one-shoulder pearl-white satin piece that shimmered as she glided across the dance floor. Her long hair was twisted up into an elaborate chignon and decked out with dozens of glittering jewels. With diamonds around her neck and wrists, she was positively glittering as her partner twirled her through the elaborate steps of the Viennese Waltz.

Her partner was no less devastating to the eye. Dressed to the nines, he appeared to have just stepped off the cover of a men's fashion magazine. Together, the two of them dipped, turned and twirled. Their love was obvious for all to see but they only had eyes for each other. Rumour has it, engagement and marriage was in the not too distant future.

The couple looked absolutely stunning together and no one in their vicinity could take their eyes off of the pair.

"Will we ever be like that?" Up from her vantage point on the second floor balcony, Ruka wondered out loud as she watched the couple continue their dance.

"Hmmm?" Beside her, Akatsuki Kain stirred as he looked up from the report he was reading.

Ruka turned and gave him a glowering look, trying to squelch the part of her that sighed at the way he looked with his unruly hair and unbuttoned shirt. They were at a party and he was still focused on work. That could not go unpunished.

"You know, Akatsuki," Ruka sighed as she walked over and sat down by his side on the couch. "It's a crime to ignore your girlfriend."

_Girlfriend._

It still gave her a thrill whenever she thought about it.

They are together. A true old-fashioned gentleman at heart, the first thing Akatsuki did after everything settled down was to seek permission from her parents to court her. It was one of the few issues that Akatsuki refused to budge on, no matter how much she tried to dissuade him. Ruka's cheeks still warmed at the memory.

"_You sure this is necessary?" Embarassed, Ruka asked as the pair of them stood in the foyer of her house, waiting for the butler to fetch her parents._

_Akatsuki nodded solemnly as he stood by her side. He had even dressed up for this occasion with a dinner jacket and his shirt neatly buttoned and tucked in. However, no amount of effort could tame his hair. _

"_They have known you for years," Ruka whispered when her butler came back to take them to her father's study. "They know you almost as well as they know me. How could they not approve?"_

_He turned and grinned at her. She had never seen him look so carefree and now that she has, Ruka didn't want that look to disappear. It was amazing that despite knowing him for so many years, there were still aspects of him that she was discovering. _

"_Ruka," he continued smiling at her. "This is more than a formality. This is ..." Here, he visibly hesitated. "This is for keeps. I love you so I want – need to do this right."_

_Well, when you put it like that, Ruka thought as she sighed and reached up to sneak in a kiss before they entered the study._

_Who could say no to that?_

But just as Ruka had predicted, her parents had approved without a moment of hesitation. There were no signs of surprise. It was almost as if the two of them had seen this coming. Her father had beamed with quiet pride and a hint of amusement. Her mother, on the other hand, had emitted a quite unladylike squeal as she rushed around the table to embrace the two of them. That was followed immediately with her dashing out, claiming that she had to call Akatsuki's mother straight away.

Ruka was certain that her cheeks had never been that red before.

That was two months ago. And during that time, Akatsuki had been who he had always been – a constant reassuring presence by her side who was always looking out for her. He bought a car, insisting that from now on, they should travel together instead of always getting driven around by a chauffeur. He was even starting to teach her how to drive. They shopped around for an apartment to move in together. Hanabusa had insisted on tagging along, of course, demanding that they get one with a spare bedroom for him. That had almost led to an argument had Akatsuki not stepped in at the last minute and played the peacekeeper.

It was almost as if nothing had changed.

Eyes still on his report, Akatsuki slung an arm across the back of the couch and gathered her close. Automatically, without giving it much thought, she leaned into him and rested her head in the crook of his shoulder. Breathing in his familiar scent, Ruka resisted the urge to snuggle in closer. And just like that, all thoughts of punishing him went out the window.

_Well, okay, there were a couple of changes..._

"What are you doing?" She asked as she peered down at the papers he held in his hand. She wasn't really upset at him. God knows how he hated dressing up and attending parties. The fact that he even bothered attending was a feat in itself. Plus, he had a lot on his plate at the moment. They both did.

"Looking over the enrolment list for next year," Akatsuki answered as he absent-mindedly brushed his hand through her hair. "Plus, Hanabusa wanted me to go over the syllabus as well."

At the thought of their cousin, Ruka sobered up. After the end of the battle, the person who had changed the most would have had to be their cousin. He had grown up his entire life believing in the ideals of the pureblood lords. He had looked up to – no, practically worshipped Kaname-sama ever since they were little kids. They all had. But somehow, looking back, Ruka thinks he had been hit the hardest by Kaname-sama's betrayal.

And yet…

"_So what are your plans?" She had asked him a few weeks ago. In the space of days, the hunters had managed to clear up all traces of the battle. The bridge had been repaired. Zero had relocated the Hunter Association to a new temporary headquarter. And everything was seemingly back to normal. The humans were happily oblivious to what had transpired and simply went on with their daily lives._

_Ruka wasn't sure whether she should be relieved or sad at that thought. Was there no one to mourn their passing?_

_Hanabusa shrugged, his baby-blue eyes solemn and lacking its usual twinkle of mischief. Though his clothes and hair were as immaculate as ever, Ruka could see the inner turmoil and grief inside the blonde. _

"_Akatsuki and I are heading back for a bit," Ruka prompted him when Hanabusa remained silent and pensive. "He wants to see my parents about something and then, I think we'll stay for awhile, rest and figure out what we want to do, you know. You should come with us."_

_Hanabusa turned to look up at the Moon Dormitory. "No," he said finally. "I think I'm going to stay."_

"_And do what?" Her confusion was evident in her voice._

"_Rebuild the school and teach the future generation of vampires about coexistence." Turning back around, he shot Ruka a bittersweet smile. "This place holds a lot of memories – some good, some bad. But they are there nonetheless. We should keep their alive. And keep his legacy alive too."_

_Ruka mulled over it in her head, nodding slowly in response. Perhaps she was wrong after all. No matter what happens, there will always be someone who remembers and mourns. No one should fade away into the obscurity of time._

"_I'll help," she said, smiling back at him._

"_We both will," Akatsuki spoke as he walked up to join them._

_Quick as lightening, Hanbusa's eyes creased up into a smile. Slinging an arm around each of them, he teased. "Nah, you guys just missing hanging out with me."_

_Ruka thought about it. "No, that can't be it."_

"_Hey!" Hanabusa's indignant voice rang through the air._

_The three of them. Together. Like the way it has always been. Like the way it should be…_

And true to his words, Hanabusa had thrown himself into re-establishing the night class. He wasn't a child prodigy for no reason. Within a few weeks, the groundwork for reopening the school had been laid down. The teachers have been hired. Students were enrolling in. And in another few weeks time, Chairman Cross will be starting the new academic year with two cohorts again. Hanabusa will be the acting Dorm Leader. Akatsuki and herself will join him, mostly to keep an eye out for him. Because that was what cousins do.

And Zero will once again play the role of the suffering Prefect.

As for Yuuki-sama…

She had woken up from her coma like a newborn, blinking with confusion and bewilderment at the world around her. With no memories of her past life – lives, she would have to start afresh. It was perhaps Kaname-sama's final gift to her.

But with Zero there looking after her, Yuuki-sama will be fine, Ruka thought as she gave up to temptation and snuggled closer. Instinctively, Akatuski's arm tightened around her, holding her close. It was a little strange that after all these months, Ruka still thought of her as the pureblood princess. She had spent years thinking of her as a pesky human and only a couple mentoring her as a Kuran. Yet she still couldn't drop the suffix from Yuuki-sama's name. And she doubted she was the only one. It would be weird going back to school and having to consciously remind herself that Yuuki-sama didn't remember her or any of them.

And it was probably for the best.

"Penny for your thought?" Akatsuki gently asked.

It took her awhile for her to realize they were still at the ball. Ruka shook her head as she took the sheets from him to have a browse herself. "Just thinking about the future."

"Still worried?"

Ruka shook her head again. She tilted her head up and smiled at him. "No. I know where I'll be in five years time." _Together. Somewhere. With you. _

Akatsuki's twinkling gaze was answer enough that he knew what she was thinking.

They sat there for awhile in comfortable silence while the rest of the crowd continued to dance and socialize on the dance floor below them. One of Ruka's favourite pastimes used to be down there, revelling in the festivities and the crowd. But now –

"I like this," she murmured quietly without moving.

"Me too." Akatsuki replied. Ruka smiled when she felt his lips brush the top of her hair.

"There you guys are," Hanabusa exclaimed as he hurried up the stairs and spotted them. "Have you guys been hiding up here all this time? Wait, don't answer that. I don't want disturbing mental images crowding my brain when I go to bed tomorrow morning."

"Hanabusa!" Ruka flushed as she sat up. "It's nothing like that!"

"La-la-la," Hanbusa sang as he reached them. Grabbing ahold of both of them, he dragged them off the couch and ushered them down the stairs. "Go, go downstairs and socialize like normal vampire nobles."

Before they realized what was happening, they were pushed onto the dance floor. Hanabusa then magically disappeared into the crowd.

"Shall we?" There was a small smile on Akatsuki's lips as he bowed elegantly before her.

"Oh, stop it," Ruka rolled her eyes. But there was an answering smile on her face as she accepted his hand. "You don't think this is a waste of time? I know how much you hate dancing."

"No," Akatsuki shook his head as he twirled her out and then catching her back into his arms.

"But you are always about making every count."

"Every moment spent with you already counts," Akatsuki said with a twinkle in his eyes as he dipped his head down to cover her mouth with his. Ruka sighed blissfully and wrapped her arms around his neck, dragging him closer.

Carpe Diem.

Seize the day.

Live every day as if it were the very last.

THE END

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Well, this is truly the end. Even now, I've got mixed feelings. This baby was originally meant to be a mini-winter project for myself before I commenced my clinicals. That was well over one and half a year ago. There were moments during this year when I thought I would never be able to finish this story. But here we are, at the epilogue.

Thank you so much for taking this long and interesting journey with me. :)

Witless Fool


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